


The Body Pillow

by Memeke89



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance, minor drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-03-19 01:05:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 60,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13693680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memeke89/pseuds/Memeke89
Summary: Eunji is just a normal office worker with high hopes. Her entire life changes when her coworkers get her a body pillow of Jumin Han for her birthday. What happens when she is caught red pillowed by the real deal? Please do enjoy the struggles of poor Eunji as she stumbles her way to Jumin Han’s heart.





	1. The Body Pillow

     “Happy Birthday!” Eunji’s coworkers merrily crowed. They huddled around her cubicle with grins so wide, Eunji wasn’t sure if she could take their pearly whites seriously. She cautiously set down the numbers she was studiously crunching, turned on her padded rolling chair, and gave her five coworkers, and sometimes friends, her full attention.   
“We all pitched in to get you this,” Youngmi said. The woman brushed her shoulder length bleached blonde hair from an unholy flawless face, and bumped shoulders with the gawky Woojin. He started, his dulled brown irises sparking back to attentiveness, and bent his unnaturally long limbs to dig for something behind his desk. Youngmi clapped her hands from excitement, the tips of her red gel manicure clacking together. 

     “It’s not like you guys to buy me a present for my birthday,” Eunji mumbled suspiciously. Her coworkers weren’t about the kind, drama free work life. They seemed to thrive on turmoil and discord like dinosaurs from the Jurassic Era. Eunji couldn’t get through one single day of work without Youngmi popping out of tiny cabinets or Woojin using his creepy talent of twitching his long limbs like the Grudge whenever the lights were out. Usually, birthdays in the office were filled with cakes and prank candles. This present business was something Eunji was unaccustomed to, therefore, there was trouble on the horizon.

     “Don’t worry about it,” Youngmi sing songed, flicking her hand nonchalantly. You never would have expected such a well put together woman (red make-up done just so, hair meticulously quaffed, dress suit tailored to fit her Atlantic Ocean curves) would be Satan in human form. Or maybe one would. Either way, Eunji was always grateful that Youngmi was her friend and not an enemy.

     “Here we go,” Woojin said while heaving up something long from the desk/ hiding place. This something was as tall as Woojin, which was roughly six feet and two inches. Woojin kept his black hair shaved close to his skull, which Eunji always thought of as a bad move. Without a curtain of hair to hide behind, his entire face was subject to scrutiny. The man did not know how to lie, and as he held onto the thing the office got for her on her birthday, his fluffy black eyebrows began to twitch. Twitching eyebrows always meant that Eunji was going to have to break into her chocolate stash at the end of the day due to hair pulling stress. Rarely did the eyebrows lie.

     “Tadaa!” Youngmi snatched the thing from Woojin and flipped it around, impatient for the reveal. Eunji immediately blanched. She was glad that she was already sitting. What did those two think they were doing? The others around her desk burst into healthy fits of laughter, and Eunji knew her cheeks had drained from all color.  
“Why, just, why did you get me a Jumin Han body pillow?” Eunji moaned.   
“Because you have a crush on him!” Woojin chuckled. He moved the pillow just so, making the character’s head wiggle as he made fake kissing noises.

     “I do not have a crush on him!” Eunji smacked her forehead, nonplused. “Jeeze, you tell your coworkers that you admire someone’s work ethic, and you get a body pillow of the man in return.”  
“We thought that you should get practicing on winning him over anyway. You need a boyfriend in your life, even if he is made of cloth and stuffing,” Youngmi chortled. 

     “Ugh, just, gimme that!” Eunji roughly grabbed the pillow, almost toppling over from how surprisingly heavy the thing was. She had a better look at the pillow now. The image was obviously hand drawn fan art with Jumin Han laying down on a bed of the softest looking feathers she had ever seen. His usual attire the media portrayed him in, a suit, vest, tie, and dress pants, were ruffled with a bed ruffled charm to them. The suit was even unbuttoned, revealing a creamy curve of a defined pectoral, drawing the viewer’s attention down to his thin waist and hips. His gray fire eyes were alight with passion, and even Eujin had to gulp down the whip of excited uneasiness she received from just looking at the pillow. 

     “How much was this, anyway. It feels like 500 count. This couldn’t have been cheap.” She had to change the subject.

     “It was whatever you’d want it to be, hun. Just sit back and enjoy the gift.” Youngmi smacked her friend on the back, and Eunji coughed from impact.

     “Well, how am I going to get this thing to my apartment without being seen?” Eunji’s office was just a few walking blocks away from her comfortable apartment. The only problem was that she’d have to pass the company, C&R, that the Director printed on the pillow she was holding worked at. She could only imagine plugging down the walkway with the body pillow and THE Jumin Han sauntering out from the office, tired and worn from the day, finding his own likeness bobbing up and down and carried by what would look like a crazy woman. A very crazy and obsessive woman. Ugh! She frantically shook her head.   
No. From the two years she had lived in her apartment, she had not once caught a glimpse of Jumin Han exiting the building. She could deal with patrons of the city staring at her and the new pillow. They were strangers and their opinions didn’t matter as much as the man whose accomplishments she envied. Alright, she believed she could make it home with present in tow.

     No problem. 

     “It’s often common for people who go out as a couple to be seen walking together,” Youngmi answered Eunji’s previous question. “You two look cute.”

     Eunji sighed, knowing that Youngmi was only joking. It was no use being a spoiled sport in this office, so Eunji slapped a dazzling smile onto her features and held out her pillow like a trophy. “You’re right, Youngmi. Woojin. It was about time I got myself a boyfriend. And this one is a cheap date. This is the best birthday, ever!”   
The office cheered, and they progressed to eat chocolate and vanilla cupcakes topped with candles that never went out.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 _Don’t mind me. Just your normal 25-year-old carrying around a provocative body pillow coming through._ Eunji thought as she cut through the evening rush of blue and white collar workers intermingling to go home to their families. She had let down her long, curly red coils of hair, covering her freckled pale face and deep hazel eyes, taking her own advice of using hair as a shield. If only Woojin could learn from example. 

     As confused and harried looks were thrown in her direction, Eunji took the opportunity to pinpoint where everything went wrong. Maybe she shouldn’t have gone to University. See where her degree had taken her? An office job with no opportunity to climb the ranks. All of her hard work was overlooked as others with less experience and knowledge were given passes up the corporate ladder, whizzing by her and sticking out their tongues while doing so. Perhaps she should have gone into a trade. Or maybe she could have taken over her mother’s hotel business. Eunji sighed and unconsciously hugged the pillow close. Her high heels were killing her feet and the stiff work dress was somehow even constricting her small chest. The pillow was nice and soft and had a hot man printed on it. 

     Maybe that was why she admired the successful Jumin Han. He worked hard and got positive progress in return. Even when the company seemed to be sinking, he was able to confidently hold the main helm and direct everyone to calmer waters. What she felt wasn’t a physical attraction, though she had to admit that his gray eyes were amazing. No. That seemingly effortless talent of taking charge of a situation and bending it to his will was what really attracted Eunji. One day, she would find that ability within herself. She was just tired of searching.

     Eunji made it to the bustling crosswalk halfway from her workplace, huddled in between a man in his fifties speaking fervently into his ancient cell phone, and a pretty high school girl snapping a picture of Eunji and the pillow. Probably for Instagram. That was okay. She didn’t care. Eunji had accepted her birthday gift, and she would walk it home with her head held up high. The crowd cocooned her as she passed C&R, a swath of clothing and faces. One step, and then another. Come on, she can make it past. Just a few more steps and she would be out of sight from the imposing C&R building. The older man had already set a faster pace leaving Eunji behind, but the high school girl was taking even more pictures flashing one after another. Eunji normally wouldn’t have minded, but the ratio of picture per second was off of the charts and had to be stopped.

     “Excuse me, could you please stop taking my-” Eunji started. The girl brought her phone down, brown eyes as panicked as a doe in headlights.

     BAM!

     Something collided with Eunji from her left. She let out an “ooof” of surprise. Her black heels already gave her a disadvantage in balance, and the person who had rammed into her was all she needed to topple over. She clattered to the ground, already hearing the contents of her backpack escape from their confines, littering the ground below. She had also expected to meet the sidewalk with a painful crunch. However, she did not. Instead, as she peered over to her side, the Jumin Han body pillow carefully held her in his soft, soft embrace. The pillow had taken one for the team. Eunji sighed, marveling over how close she could have been to breaking a bone, or at the very least bruising her side. She would have to thank Youngmi and Woojin in earnest the next time she saw them.

     But something was still wrong. Her pillow was under her. She was on top of it. The poor expensive fabric had been roughed up. There was no way the pillow would look new ever again. So, those were the facts. Facts were true. If that was the case, then why did a perfect, flawless version of her pillow seem to be laying on top of her? And, not only that, the pillow was breathing. Her stomach dropped, and she bit her lip in dismay. 

     “My apologies. Are you alright, miss?” Asked the not pillow sprawled on top of her. Aka, the not pillow that was warm, pressed up against her body, and smelling like expensive cinnamon cologne. She gulped, watching the coal gray eyes examine her with a detached passiveness that unnerved her. Eunji felt his every move, no matter how miniscule. His arms over hers, the brush of his abdomen at her legs, the compression of his breathes. She overlaid her pillow’s image to the real thing and thought she was going to have an aneurism from the increase of heated blood flow to her head.

     "I was rushing home to attend to Elizabeth the 3rd. She is feeling unwell today, and so I called Driver Kim to the front." The man said almost absentmindedly. He then blinked, and finally focused on Eunji and all of her after work, worn out glory.  
"Excuse me. You needn't have heard any of that.” He shook his head, and his hair actually glimmered from its uniformity. “Let me help you up."

     "I-I'm alright." Eunji wriggled underneath the man, horrified, absolutely horrified, at her situation. Her intellectual idol had just run her over on the middle of the sidewalk. Boom, ram rod into her! Jumin Han. Jumin freaking Han. Oh no, she was going to hyperventilate. Just like Woojin’s eyebrow twitch predicted a chocolately future, so did the collective sweat that pooled at the base of her neck predicted word vomit. She never did well with meeting others she held to close esteem, and was unfortunately cursed with the symptoms of becoming starstruck, spewing whatever she thought straight from her brain completely without a filter. What made matters even worse was that Jumin Han was now staring at the pillow version of himself. Fabric facing skin in a showdown. Oh god!

     "Gah!" Eunji shoved Jumin off of her. He quickly got to his feet, brushing off imaginary dirt from his suit, while she savagely scooped all of her spilled items back into her denim backpack. Eunji carefully flipped the sad pillow around so that Jumin Han could no longer see her blatant shame.

     "I am so sorry for the trouble. If you would excuse me," she was able to gasp out. Oh no, her armpits were sweating. She had to leave, stat. Or else words would happen. Really weird words.

     "Miss, your knee." Jumin Han’s attention was now directed on a spot below her eye level.  
Eunji glanced down. Yes. She did seem to have scraped the appendage, although any longer within Jumin Han's immediate radius would result in a degrading fan squeal. Escape it would have to be.

     "I'm fine. Umm, have a good day! May the force be with you!" With that, Eunji turned tail and ran. Actually, she sprinted down the walkway, forgetting that she even wore high heels. That was what starstruck adrenaline did her: wonders.  
Jumin Han observed the woman scamper away, his whole demeanor apathetic. She didn't matter to him unless the woman suddenly attempted to sue him for scraping her knee. Even then, she had verbally refused help. Case closed. Nothing to worry over in that particular case.

     A small outcropping of onlookers and a camera happy high school girl began to encroach on his personal space, darkening his day further. Time to leave. Jumin stepped into the awaiting sleek black limos, engine humming at the curb. His fingers fumbled into his breast pocket to type instructions to Assistant Kang about Elizabeth the 3rd, meeting nothing but an empty space at his palm. His phone was gone.

 


	2. The Phone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Just a quick note. This fanfiction heavily relies on the timeline derived from the Secret Endings from completing 707’s route. Read with spoiler caution!

     “This is your fault!” Eunji hissed at the pillow she had thrown onto her violet couch. She was still trembling with the after shock of being star struck, even after a few minutes of being barricaded in her modest one bed, one bathroom apartment. She could still feel the sweat coating her neck and armpits and knew that she would not only have to attack her stash of chocolate in earnest tonight, but take a shower that lasted at least forty five minutes with massive amounts of soap. The body pillow lay innocently on the couch. The Jumin Han image printed on the fine threads was nothing compared to the real thing, especially now that the pillow was slightly dirtied thanks to the fall.

     “Ugh, the fall,” Eunji moaned. She sat down on the floor, making sure that the offending high heels of doom had been taken off and properly put away, never to be worn again. Next came the denim backpack. It sat beside her. “May the force be with you,” she mimicked in her own terrified, squeaky voice, “did I really have to say that? He probably thinks I’m a loon. No, it’s enough that he saw the pillow.” Eunji slammed her head onto her knees in utter revulsion of herself.

     A sleek, black Norwegian Forest cat emerged from her fluffy navy blue cat bed. She curled out, one paw after another, and yawned with her butt up in the air. After what seemed to be a luxurious stretch, the cat padded over to Eunji and rubbed herself against the woman’s side, leaving a streak of long black hair. When her owner did not respond, the cat indignantly patted her owner’s hand with a massive paw and black toe beans. She blinked her intense orange eyes mournfully. It was time for pets.

     “Alright, Masako. There, there,” Eunji repeated a few times mainly to ground herself and not to the cat while she smoothed her pet’s fur stroke after stroke. “At least this can’t get worse. I’ve already humiliated myself in front of a celebrity. Not just any celebrity, my personal idol. My goal. The only way to go is up from here, right Masako?”  
The cat backed away as an answer. She nosed a path over to Eunji’s backpack and began to play with the glittery zipper. The backpack began to buzz, and Masako reared back, fur puffed out from being startled. She turned tail and escaped back into her safe cat bed. 

     “I didn’t put my phone in my backpack,” Eunji murmured. She absently palmed her suit jacket and felt the familiar lump of a cell phone hidden within a pocket. As factors began to become pieced together, her growing suspicions told her that she did not want to check her backpack. Under no circumstance should she open the backpack. She would not like what she found if she unzipped that zipper. No. No, no, no. Nope. And yet the buzzing persisted like that of a mosquito in the canal of her ears.

     “Fine!”

     Eunji flung herself at the backpack, unzipped the item, and dumped the contents on the white carpet floor. The clutter was illuminated by the large window in the living room. There was her leather bound notebook. The set of art pens she bought on a whim but hadn’t had a chance to use yet. A charger for her phone. Her little Bluetooth keyboard. And a classy yet efficient silver phone in a classy yet efficient silver case. Not hers.

     “Youngmi. Woojin. I will never, ever forgive you for this.”

     Eunji grabbed the phone. Said phone was still buzzing, urgently yearning to be answered. Maybe she should just go to C&R and drop the piece of technology off at the front desk? No, that wouldn’t be proper. Seeing as she was the one who wrongly took Jumin Han’s phone, she should return the item face to face and issue an apology. That was how it was done in the business world. Then again, someone was trying to contact Jumin Han’s phone. Should she attempt to answer it to let the caller know of the phone’s unfortunate displacement? Eunji took a deep, steadying breath, and walked over to slump onto the couch next to the body pillow. Masako decided it was safe enough to join her owner, and plopped her butt onto the pillow’s printed lap. 

     Eunji looked at the phone.  
The phone seemed to have been stuck on its last known app, because it hadn’t collapsed into a general locked mode. The buzzing was coming from a messenger app. One person was consistently typing, making the sad phone buzz as if someone were calling. Now that’s persistent. What did it say?

 **Saeyoung** : ALERT!

 **Saeyoung** : ALERT!

 **Saeyoung** : ALERT!

 **Saeyoung** : ALERT!

     Eunji blinked. The crazy person had written “alert” at least one hundred times. Who in the world, no, what in the world was this person? She began to type in order to put an end to the buzzing and what seemed to be a malfunctioning human being.

 **Jumin** : Excuse me.

 **Saeyoung** : AL…wait! He speaks!

 **Jumin** : Pardon me, this isn’t Jumin.

 **Saeyoung** : THIEF!

 **Jumin** : Wait, I’m not a-

 **Saeyoung** : THEIF! GUARD YOUR LOINS! PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN!!

 **Jumin** : Please, I accidentally grabbed Mr. Han’s phone after we ran into each other. I only want to return it.

 **Saeyoung** : Hmn, seems plausible enough. I’ll have to find out your credentials. One moment.

 **Jumin** : Wait, what do you mean, one moment? What are you doing?

Saeyoung: Nothing illegal. I promise. Cross my paws.

 **Saeran** : Stop messing around, Saeyoung. You know what’s happening already. Jaehee called you after Driver Kim informed her that Jumin lost his phone. You’ve tracked it and sent Jumin to the location already.

 **Saeyoung** : Awwwww, don’t spoil the fun, bro.

 **Saeran** : You’ve spammed the entire chat with “ALERT’s.” You don’t get to have fun after that.

     Eunji felt ice trickle down her spine. One vertebrae at the time. Plop, plop, plop. What did this Saeran mean that Jumin Han was being sent over to her address? When did he find out? Was he coming right now? Dear Lord, what was happening to her life? No matter what, he couldn’t be allowed inside. She had to redress herself. Become presentable. Look the part of a responsible adult.

 **Saeyoung** : Hey! Hey, you! Eunji, right?

     Why should she be surprised that this mysterious Saeyoung knew her name? Despite knowing that he traced the cell phone and therefore her apartment and the owner thereto, she still felt her heart doing an annoying flip in her chest. Well, no use denying it.

 **Jumin** : Yes. My name is Eunji.

 **Saeyoung** : You have about five minutes until Jumin gets there.

 **Jumin** : Thanks.

 **Saeyoung** : And I feel like it’s my natural born duty as Hero of Justice to let you know that you shouldn’t be reading any of this.

 **Jumin** : What?!

 **Saeyoung** : It’s highly confidential. Super duper. When Jumin gets there, he might have to eliminate you.

 **Jumin** : Eliminate?! As in…that can’t be. What are you even talking about?

 **Saeran** : You could have just remotely wiped the messenger from Jumin’s phone, Saeyoung. Would have avoided this whole mess.

 **Saeyoung** : What fun is there in that? Come on, Saeran, get your Choi genes into it!

 **Saeran** : Some advice, Eunji, it’s better just to ignore everyone here. Especially Saeyoung. Anyway, good luck with the elimination.

 **Saeyoung** : That’s my boy111

     Eunji set down the phone, ignoring any other quarreling messages that popped onto the screen void of scratches. If she was to assume that everything read was correct…crap. Crap!

1\. Jumin Han was going to arrive in five minutes. Actually, more like four now.  
2\. Jumin Han may or may not “eliminate” her for something she still wasn’t quite sure she understood. How could someone yelling, ALERT, be confidential?  
3\. If she was truly eliminated, then she would come back as a ghost and haunt Youngmi and Woojin until their dying days.

     Masako yawned, showing off large white canines, and sauntered over to her owner. She promptly plopped onto Eunji’s proffered lap, lacing the human with layers of shedding fur. This was her food ritual. If she wanted to eat, bother the human. It was a truth set way back since kitten hood. For some reason, however, the human was not responding to Masako’s insistent kneading upon her stomach. Masako tried yowling. Then chuffing. Nothing worked. Masako was hungry, so very hungry. It felt as though she hadn’t eaten in her entire lifetime, and her owner wasn’t doing a great job at keeping her alive if that was the case. Masako butted her head at her owner’s chin.

     “Not now, Masako.” Eujin sat up, leaving a disgruntled cat behind. She flashed to her bedroom, shed her cat hair ridden garments, and picked out the best casual yet charming clothes she could. A white button up blouse and dress jeans. Eunji attempted to brush out her crazy head of red curls, found out that it was a loosing battle, and wrapped her hair in a bun with a clip. Her end of the day make up would have to do except, there, a little bit of mascara wouldn’t hurt. Crap, she shouldn’t forget to spray of puff of vanilla perfume to cover up the previous starstruck sweat as well as any more that might follow with this next encounter. Just one minute left until Jumin Han will be at her apartment. One freaking minute. Don’t hyperventilate. Don’t think about Star Bours. Everything will be fine. 

     Eunji now stood in the middle of her minuscule living room, practicing how to breathe again. Masako was at her feet, attempting to smack her with cat a healthy amount of hair. Eunji avoided the cat attacks, pacing back and forth, waiting for the upcoming knock knocking at her door. Then, at five seconds left, she remembered.   
The Jumin Han body pillow was still stretched out on her violet couch. Scratched up, dirty, and covered in black cat hair. She forgot to move it.  
     

     Knock. Knock. Knock.

     Three precise and firm raps to gain entrance. She was too late. Eunji clenched her fists. No, she would just have to take any conversations out to the indoor hallway that connected the apartments. That was fine. All she had to do was take a quick step out and close the door behind her. He wouldn’t have to see. Easy stuff there.

     “On my way!” Eunji called out. She moved to the door and reached out to unlatch it. Gearing up to act like a normal 25-year-old adult, she opened the door. After only a glimpse of Jumin Han, Eunji moved to keep him from coming inside. Just as she lifted her be-sandaled right foot, Masako dashed underneath. Eunji’s foot connected full on with a twenty-pound cat, lifting her from the ground as she toppled over the feline and onto her guest. Masako screeched, because this really wasn’t what she was planning to do, and belted deep into the apartment to smooth out her cattish ego. In the meantime, Eunji’s fall was broken yet again by a Jumin Han. Not the pillow version. The human version. And he looked highly unamused by the entire situation.

     “S-s-sorry!” Eunji stuttered. She was now on top of the Director of C&R, one of the most influential companies in the country. The man’s expression was disgruntled, like she was wasting his time just looking at him. At least there was more expression now than last time, where his passiveness had chilled her to her core. Not that a pissed off business man was any better. “Are you alright? Did you bump your head?” She examined his head. Nothing looked broken. He was just as warm and solid and healthy as she remembered. Woah, wait. Back it up there, Eunji.

     “I will be better once I am back on my feet with my property in hand.”

     “O-oh, right. Yes. I’m so sorry. I accidentally took your phone when we fell earlier.” She hurriedly rolled off of the man and helped him up. He again brushed off imaginary dust from his tailored suit, and then affixed her with a piercing gray stone stare. She avoided her reflex of gulping. “I was going to return the phone to you, but your friend, I think he’s your friend, said you were coming to my apartment.” Eunji retreated into her living room to grab the phone she had irresponsibly left on the coffee table. Before she knew it, Jumin Han had followed her inside. 

     “Fortunately, the phone wasn’t harmed in the fall. Everything works. I’m truly sorry for this inconvenience.” Good, she was doing so well. Nothing odd had come out from her lips, just wonderful conversational phrases. She didn’t even feel the tell tale sign of sweat on her neck or pits. Maybe her starstruck curse had been broken? And that bit about elimination? Nonsense. How could she have fallen for a stranger’s words?

     “Miss, I’ve been wondering for quite some time now. What in the world is that item resting on your sitting area?”

     “Hmn?” Eunji happily followed Jumin Han brooding stare and froze. 

     The freaking Body Pillow from Hell.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers!
> 
> Thank you again for giving this story a chance! Please, let me know what you like or if you have suggestions. Have a lovely day! (And don’t forget your healthy three meals a day!)


	3. The Offer

     “It’s nothing important. Just a silly pillow my friends got me for my birthday.” Eunji immediately rushed to the couch and flipped the pillow over. However, the optical damage was already done and permanent. _She_ knew that _he_ knew what he saw. She could just crawl inside of herself and die at that very moment. Seeing as she couldn’t, the next best thing was changing the subject. She did just that. 

     “Well, anyway, here is your phone. I’m sorry again for the trouble.” She turned and walked over Jumin Han, phone held tightly within her grip. He held out his hand expectantly, his gaze still lingering on the blank backside of the pillow, face strained with some raging inner thoughts.

     “Today is your birthday?” He asked in his warm, milk tea voice. 

     “Y-yes. I just turned 25.” She put the phone in his hand. Jumin Han was a good foot taller than her, and she could smell that same cologne from earlier that evening.  
“Hmn.” Jumin Han inspected his phone, turning the device over three times methodically, and deemed the item unharmed. He then checked the screen and quickly read through the messages Eunji previously participated in. “I am glad to have ruled you out as a pick pocket.”

     “Pick pocket? No! Never! I was only s-startled. I really didn’t mean to take your phone.”

     “Yes, that is apparent now. When I realized I was without my phone, I had thought the worst case scenario about you. I apologize for the assumption. However,” he let the word linger in the air like wisps of black smoke.

     “However,” she timidly nudged him with her word.

     “However, Saeyoung is correct. You should not have been on this messenger. I have no way of discerning what you have seen and what you have not seen.”

     “Wait, you don’t really mean that you plan to,” she gulped, “Eliminate me?” Eunji took a step back and almost landed on Masako’s fluffy long tail. The cat moved away. “What you see on the phone is all I did. I promise.” Jumin closed the distance by taking a step the exact length Eunji had taken back.

     “I only have your word. A word from someone I do not trust because she has taken my cellular device, read private messages, and owns an unsavory pillow with my face on it.” Eunji felt her face color to the shade of red barn paint.

     “Therefore, something must be done about the situation.” He narrowed his cool gray eyes. They held each other’s stares for a solid thirty seconds as Jumin Han thought. 

     Eunji refused to look away. Even if she was star struck, she was taught that backing down from a battle of wills was something she would never be able to recover from. What if she looked away, and ten years down the road she had a chance for a promotion, but was denied because Jumin Han remembered her inability to take on a challenge? Oh no. She wasn’t taking a chance.

     “I should eliminate you,” Jumin Han whispered. Eunji’s heart sped up, and there came the sweat on her neck like a trusty old friend. Yet she did not back down. Not in her own home! “But since it’s your birthday today, I shall not. Congratulations, and happy birthday,” he said in deadpan. 

     Her stomach dropped in surprise. What in the world? Was that supposed to be some sort of weird joke? With that, all of her frustration at carrying home a silly body pillow, running into her idol, and stealing his phone, just sort of, melted away. Just like cotton candy when dropped into water. Those turmoil filled emotions were instead replaced with a giddy sort of childish glee. There was no way of containing what spread through her bones like fire. She began to laugh a laugh so deep that her ribs began to ache. Eujin even had to hold to stomach, afraid that it would pop out from her laughter. Jumin Han’s lips curved upward, just barely. That smile did wonders. He transformed to handsome CEO in line, to a dashing man who can steal the watch from your wrist without even trying.

     “I am glad that you got the joke.”

     “You got me, alright,” she chortled. His charming smile immediately vanished.

     “But in all seriousness, I do have to give you a proposal.” Eunji’s laughter blinked out of existence. Hearing the word ‘proposal’ from Jumin Han direct at her person felt as if she were in some sort of alternate dimension where normal people and the one percent mingled every day. She bit her lip, and nodded her head to indicate that he can speak further.

     “I really am unaware of what you read, and in order to avoid trivial guesswork, I would much rather invite you to join our organization. I am the current leader, and the messenger you saw previously is directly connected to the organization. We call it the RFA.” He sighed and shook his head. “We usually do not invite members on the spot like this, but your situation is special.” He tapped his free pointer finger to his lips in contemplation. “Come to think of it, our newest member was a quick draw submission as well, and she eventually became our largest asset. Do you think you can do the same?”

     “Are you even giving me the option to refuse?”

     “Though disappointing, if you refused, then I would be forced to reconsider elimination…”

     “Okay, okay. Let’s back away from the word elimination and never speak of it again.” She held up her hand to gain her bearings. “Would you like to sit?” 

     “No thank you. This will not take long.”  
Eunji settled onto the couch in a way to calm her nervous shaking. Masako jumped up immediately and cuddled next to her side, warming her up.

     “Tell me more about the RFA.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     “And then he told me what the RFA really was,” Eunji said to Youngmi. They were both on their Monday lunch break, having no time to catch up during the weekend and Monday morning. Youngmi was wearing her periwinkle blue dress suit paired with her devil grin and sparkling eyes. Eunji felt like a nun in her black and gray attire with red hair drawn into a bun compared to the woman next to her.

     “Oooh, this is so exciting!” Youngmi yelped, oblivious to Eunji’s pointed glares the entire time she listened to her friend’s birthday experience. “This secret club of his, what do they do? Is it kinky? Does it have anything to do with bonda-“

     “It’s a fundraiser. They hold parties for elegant guests in order to raise money for charity.”

     “Well, that’s more noble than what I was going for.”

     “Definitely,” Eunji groaned. Her cup of dark coffee in her favorite orange kitten mug wasn’t doing the trick today. She had spent the entire weekend mulling over Friday’s events. The Body Pillow. The feel of Jumin Han as he crashed into her. The bruises she with-stained afterwards despite the break to both of her falls via pillow and man. The messenger. The odd people she spoke with. And Jumin Han. How could she not think about the guy? If she closed her eyes, she could recall his scent.

     “What did he do next?” Youngmi snapped Eunji out of her torrid contemplations.

     “He then proceeded to pet my cat, tell her what a wonderful creature she was, and treat her like a little princess,” she replied half with sarcasm and half with admiration. It wasn’t every day a man would treat a cat as kindly as he did. Usually, cats were a woman’s animal. His reaction to Masako was highly refreshing. He even got cat fur on the cuff of his sleeve. Nice.

     “He then got up, left, and said goodbye.”

     “Wow. Huh.” Youngmi clacked her now blue fingernails along the desk they were eating cup noodles at. She was half finished with her green bubble tea. Clack, clack, clack. “Are you going to join?” She leaned in like she was sharing a dark secret. “I think I’ve heard of the RFA before. They may have been connected with that cult outbreak from a couple years back. Some crazy religious business.”

     “Something with ‘eye’ in the name, right”

     “Meh, something like that. I heard Jumin Han tried to cover up something that occurred in the cult. Very soon after it was announced that his best friend, the photographer V, had passed away.”

     A pang of sadness crushed through Eunji. She had always adored the photographs V released. Of course, they sold for crazy amounts of money, so she only bought a few prints (which were still pretty expensive.) The money didn’t matter, however. Each picture brought a glimmer of something to life within her. When she learned that he passed away, she set up all of his pictures in her bedroom above her bed like a sort of collage. A tribute. She couldn’t even think about how Jumin Han would feel after his friend passed.

     “I know that I only met Jumin Han once, but I don’t think he would do anything nefarious. Even if all he talked about was elimination this and elimination that.” Also, there was the way that he tried to crack a lame joke. That was a genuine, kind move. Subtle, but still there.

    “Alright, then whatcha gonna do, girl?” Youngmi pursed her lips as she spoke, clouding her words. She often did this when she was getting bored of a topic. If she degraded to pulling at her blonde hair, it was time to find another topic.  
“His assistant, Jaehee Kang, is going to pick me up tonight. She’ll be taking me to the man who will install the messenger onto my phone. I think that was Saeyoung.” The one who had as much energy as a chihuahua. “His wife will be there, too. And brother.”

     “A family affair,” her friend chimed in, and then giggled. “At least you said yes!”

     “Yeah. All I have to do is find influential guests for the next party. The problem is…I DON’T KNOW ANYONE INFLUENTIAL!” Eunji smacked her head onto the desk, disturbing Youngi’s spicy noodles. “What else was I supposed to do? Say no to one of the most powerful men in the country? Very likely.” She wanted to cry. Idols were meant to stay just as that. Unreachable. Sure, she wanted to climb the business ladder, but she always thought that she’d be miles away from the top until the day she died. Eunji wasn’t ready for this catapult into a change so massive, she’d help plan country renown parties! “Ugh, Youngmi, this is your fault. And Woojin’s, too!”

     “Who are you talking about?” Woojin shouted right behind Eunji. Eunji jumped half a mile from her seat and yelped like a stranded cat. “Ahaha! Good one, Youngmi!”

     Eunji stared from Youngmi and Woojin and caught on. Youngmi was trying to get her attention off of Woojin until the man attacked with her verbal yelp all this time. Those two. She would haunt them no matter what. Even if this entire situation turned out for the better. HAUNTED!

     “I see that look, Eunji. The one with your mouth spelling murder. You should be thanking us!” Youngmi flung her chopsticks to the side, leaving a spray of spicy noodle sauce to splatter right onto Woojin’s spotted tie. “We hooked you up with not only your fabric fantasy, but the real deal as well. No normal girl would ever gain the big J’s attention, but YOU did. Thanks to US!” Youngmi ate her noodles and smiled. 

     “Yeah. Thanks.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    _Okay, Eunji. Settle down. Sure, you’re in one of Jumin Han’s limos with his head Assistant driving over to be initiated into some secret charity founding event, but you’ve had worse. Maybe. Umm…no, no you haven’t had worse. Still, breathe in and out. In and out._

     “Thank you again for driving me,” Eunji told Assistant Kang. The assistant had promptly picked up Eunji at 7 p.m. just like Jumin had said. 

     The woman was very pretty. She had clear skin, almost porcelain white, and her hair was just the right color brown. The same brown you’d see through a soda bottle with the sun peaking through the other side. Her thin framed glasses covered cute doe eyes assuaged with tired bags underneath them. Jaehee looked tired. Very, very tired, actually. She only spared Eunji a few moments to introduce herself, guide her to the limo, and then quickly returned to a pile of papers she had set on her lap.

     “Hmn?” Jaehee looked up, breaking from a fixated daze. “Oh, yes. C&R is strict with appointments, and seeing as you will soon be a new RFA member, timeliness for this situation will also be applied.” Eunji blinked. Woah, so formal. “And I am afraid timeliness is not a factor at Seayoung’s abode. I will be guiding you there to quickly finish the new arrival proceedings.” Jaehee rubbed her brow with her thumb and pointer finger, shaking her head as she did so. “You need to know that the Choi residence functions solely on sugar and caffeinated drinks. Therefore, be prepared for their high energy.”

      _What did I do to myself? Why did I agree to this?_

     “Don’t worry. I think I can handle anything they can throw at me.”

     “To be honest, that was what I thought when I first met Saeyoung. Mr. Han had told me what I am telling you know.” Jaehee leaned forward, almost knocking off one of her papers to whisper conspiratorially. “No one can ever be ready. Ever.”  
The driver of the limo laughed up front. Almost like he was pitying Eunji.

     Eunji, despite it being the cause of all of her current woes, really wished she could hug her body pillow right now.

 


	4. The Chois

     “That took you at least ten seconds less to crack than the last time you came over!” Said the woman who was standing behind the Choi residence solid metal door. That’s right. Metal. Eunji stared at the gleaming surface as if the structure were going to bite at her. Who in this day and age would have a house almost covered with the type of metal visage one would only find in spy movies? She blinked and avoided the purge to scratch at a stand of hair tickling her cheek. 

     “Well, I have become highly well versed in Arabic since this dullard refuses to change his passcodes,” Jaehee sighed. Her head drooped either from exhaustion from dealing with the hooligans who lived inside the metal house or the fact that she was still carrying her pile of folders and papers. Eunji guessed that, no. That beaten down expression was from both.   
Eujin almost jumped out of her black flats when a dark shadow appeared above her. A shadow with messy bright red hair and crazy striped glasses. Was it chuckling? Eunji turned to face it, half expecting one of Youngmi or Woojin’s jokes, only to have her theory disproved when the figure spoke in a righteous tone.

     “That makes two fluent speakers of the Arabic language excluding myself. I’m helping Education’s vast cause! Gasp, I’m now Defender of the Literate!” Oh, it wasn’t a shadow monster at all. This was a man around her age. He was handsome in the-boy-next-door sort of way. He was wearing a complimentary off red button down shirt, slightly baggy dark black jeans, bright green sneakers, some outrageously expensive headphones, and a devious smirk. Eunji reassessed her previous categorization of this man. He walked a fine line of being the “bad boy” hidden behind a swath of boyish charm. Save for now, she could tell. Especially with those dancing golden eyes. He could charm anyone into his clutches if he so chose. 

     “Or maybe you should just change the damn thing unless you really want us to be attacked.” Another redhead materialized from behind the first, his voice lower and lighter. He must have been the first man’s twin. Everything was much too alike physically to have it any other way. But they were similar in looks alone. This new man seemed as though he had just been through Hell. It was as though he had been Sisyphus the Greek myth himself, rolling a massive boulder uphill for eternity, and just now coming to the conclusion that there was no longer a boulder to roll. No hill. No Hell. His purpose was gone. Eunji felt as though she needed to comfort the man in his light colored sweater and baggy blue jeans. The problem was, she wanted to pat his head like he was a cute Irish Setter. Eunji unconsciously hooked her fingers together behind her back to resist the need to pet him. 

     “Come on you two, we have a new guest. You’ve both been excited to meet her until now.” Eunji swiveled, remembering the woman at the metal door’s entrance. She had a pleasant smile on her perfectly shaped peach lips. Her light brown hair glimmered from the waning sunlight, although her bangs covered most of her light brown eyes. Or Eunji thought they were brown. Hazel? She couldn’t tell. The woman had a ribbed white sweater on paired with a jean skirt and sparkly golden sandals. The woman was at medium height, but was still shorter than Jaehee. Eujin also took in the bulge at the woman’s belly. Pregnant, hmm? Perhaps in the second trimester. 

     “Umm, yes. My name is Eunji. Nice to meet you,” Eunji politely said. She dipped her head, and the woman motioned the group inside. They obeyed the woman’s calling gesture, and walked inside of the house’s threshold. One of the twins closed the metal door behind them.

     “Nice to meet you, too!” Chirped the handsome woman. “My name is,” the woman bent to whisper her name into Eunji’s ear, her long hair falling over one shoulder, and then pulled back up, “but you can call me MC.”

     “MC, alright. I like it.” Eunji nodded, catching a glimpse of Jaehee frantically flipping through some of her papers. The Assistant had checked out of the hub bub a while back, stuck in whatever work world she was in-prisoned in. The twins flanked MC’s sides, and the woman grabbed the wild man with the crazy glasses by the arm with a child-like giddiness.   
“This redhead here with the headphones is my husband and Defender of Justice, Saeyoung Choi.”

     Saeyoung. The one who threatened her about elimination. Mr. Hyper Man in the flesh. Said man raised his free hand, cupped it like a cat’s paw near his cheek, and then said, “Meow!” as a form of greeting. Eunji waved back lamely. His twin rolled mint blue eyes in aggravation, audibly sighing. MC noticed and snatched at the other twin’s hand.   
“And this redhead with the persistent frown and attitude as sweet as slightly sugared lemonade is Saeyoung’s brother, Saeran Choi.”

     “Great meeting you, Eunji,” Saeran muttered. He glanced away, seemingly nervous. Eunji nodded cautiously, still feeling that need to pat his head prickling at her fingertips. 

     “Now, how about we sit at the den, and I’ll grab us some snacks.” MC took everyone to a cozy enough area that housed a sectional black couch, a glass coffee table, and a few red plush chairs. Saeyoung flopped into a plush chair with an audible poof while everyone else piled onto the sectional. Jaehee wrestled with her papers, but paused long enough to give MC a pleading stare.

     “Please, I must insist on anything that aren’t those horrid chips and soda.” She pushed up her glasses with a delicate finger. “I know you are at least eating nutritious meals for the babies three times a day, but I understand you like to indulge in Saeyoung’s insanity.” 

     “That’s fine. I’ll grab something nice for you, Jaehee. What about you, Eunji?” MC began to absently rub her belly as she sauntered away from the den.

     “I’ll take what Jaehee is having.” Eunji wanted to avoid anything called ‘horrid’ when it came to food.

     “Awww, jeeze!” Saeyoung pouted, puffing out his cheeks. “But Honey Buddha chips are the source of my power!”

     “We’ll have some tonight. Gotta fuel you up!” MC promised.

     “Yes!” Saeyoung fist pumped the air and collapsed even deeper into the red cushion chair. 

     There were a few minutes of Eunji taking in the surroundings like a vast wall of computer screens, a table set up for tinkering with mechanical toys, a shrine that looked to be all about cats, and a pair of jeans that were securely tucked away under a computer chair. A robot cat moved to a fro along the hallway across from her, and a portrait hang right above the cat photographed by an expert artist. After her quick scan, MC came back into the den with rich smelling black tea and a plate full of blueberry muffins. Eujin thanked her and began to eat. After her first muffin, she at last noticed that Saeyoung was staring intently at her. She stalled her last bite and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Oh boy. What was going to happen now?

    “Hmn, so you’re the woman that’s carrying around Jumin’s body pillow?” Saeyoung bluntly asked.

     “I! You see, my friends-” Eujin spluttered.

     “Now, I don’t want to disappoint you, but he may not even be interested in women. Why, a while back, I tried asking him myself.” Saeyoung nodded his head, eyes closed and pleased with himself. MC smacked her face, and Jaehee buried herself deeper into the work on her lap. Saeran only stared at her. Was he even blinking?

     “And…what did he say…” She cautiously asked. Eunji couldn’t help but be curious.

     “Oh! He never gave a straight answer!” The man chuckled, slapping his knee. His glasses slipped from his face, and he readjusted them with both hands. There was the sound of teeth grinding teeth, and a flash from Jaehee’s own glasses frames.

     “Saeyoung, I have to Eunji back home safely in exactly forty minutes in order to finish three projects by the end of the night. Could you do what we came here for instead of gossiping about a well worn topic?” For a moment, Eunji could picture the Assistant brandishing a whip and snapping the item at Saeyoung. He must have seen that image as well, because he gulped and held out his hand for Eunji’s phone. 

     “Whew, okies. I can do that,” he squeaked. Eunji quickly padded over and deposited her phone into his hand. He immediately began to tinker with it, breezing by her passcode with ease. She would have blanched if she had the energy for it.

     “You know, you could have just remotely downloaded the file onto her phone. That way there’d be no need for her to come over at all,” Saeran mentioned in a monotonous manner. Eunji and Jaehee both whipped their heads over to glare at Saeyoung in mild annoyance. He sucked in his lips, momentarily alarmed, and then turned to Saeran with a mischievous smirk on his face. His golden irises flashed gleefully.

     “Nonsense, dear brother! Weren’t you the one who secretly found her picture? You wanted to see her, too. Didn’t you? Otherwise, you would have told Jaehee not to bother coming.”

     “I told you to knock before coming into my room!” Saeran stood up, fists clenched. There was a flurry of emotions that flashed on his face; anger, hurt, loneliness, and, for the briefest of milliseconds, humor. Eunji noted that Saeran’s eyes were sharper, more fierce than his brother’s, so when they landed on someone, they cut deep. For some reason, he was looking at her with that cutting glare.

     “Technically my house. My room,” sing songed Saeyoung. He played around with the phone for a couple more moments before plopping the device back into Eunji’s awaiting palms. She plugged in her passcode, half worried he wiped the entire thing, only to find that there truly was just one new app in her inventory. The RFA messenger. She barely noticed when the twins began to fight, using words, not fists. They bantered until MC got to her feet, her face covered with darkening bangs. Was there electricity flying off of her? The boys immediately shut their mouths.

     “You!” She pointed at Saeyoung, who then flinched. “Stop provoking your brother. And you!” She pointed at Saeran, who looked down at the floor. “Stop stalking our guest.” MC sighed and then turned to Eunji. “And Eunji, the RFA may be comprised of a few numbskulls like these two here, but they are like a big, warm family. I hope you eventually become comfortable with us.” She rubbed her belly like one would touch a calming gemstone. 

     Eunji glanced at the brothers, who had already calmed down enough to nibble on the blueberry muffins. She then looked at Jaehee still scribbling down crunched numbers. Then MC, who steadily sat back down, grinning at her silly husband. Eunji licked her lips, recalling Jumin. How he seemed stoic and emotionless at first glance, but then there was something, just…more to him. She wanted to find out. Not just about him, but everyone. Even the other two members she hadn’t met with yet. That odd, warm feeling bubbled beneath her chest, so hot and searing that she almost cried out. 

     “I guess I came into the RFA under, err, odd circumstances. But, I can see how much you all meld together already. I wonder if I can be like that with you guys, too.” To have more warm and loving friends like her Youngmi and Woojin would be wonderful. She truly wanted to impress these people. And maybe Jumin, too.

     “Of course it will take time. Ignoring the pillow incident, you seem sane enough. I’m sure you’ll be a lovely person to chat with in the app,” said Jaehee, barely looking up. Eunji’s ears turned red.

     “Thank you, Jaehee. Everyone, actually.” She bent to take a sip of her tea, and then set it down with a new sense of certainty. “So, when is the next party?”  
______________________________________________________________________________

     “Ah jeeze, Masako. The next party is going to be in four months.” 

     Eunji was safely delivered back to apartment in the exact forty minutes Jaehee had earlier prescribed. After a a couple more rough and tumbles from Saeyoung and Saeran, all ending with MC instilling fear like an Iron ruler, Jaehee was able to pry Eunji from the Choi clan and back to the limo.

     “And all of that was without their sugar drinks,” Jaehee had heaved.

     “I have a couple of prankster friends myself. I guess they were my training wheels for what’s to come,” Eunji laughed.

     “Truly, I am glad that they didn’t scare you off. They are genuine friends, but sometimes a bit abrasive. I am a fool to love all of them.”

     “Huh. I think I’m going to be fast friends with you, Jaehee,” Eunji said while giving her her warmest smile. Jaehee returned the grin with one that was purely exhausted, and yet caring.  
Now Eunji was back at her apartment, dressed in her T-Shirt and short combo pajamas, and with a big cat cuddled on her lap. Masako purred at her master’s effective petting style.

     “I don’t know how I will be able to find anyone influential or big wig enough for this party.” Her shoulders dropped, and the cat rubbed her head against her owner’s palm to entice even more pets. “I don’t know why Jumin chose me. Or why the others are all on board. I don’t want to fail them.”

     “Meow!” Meowed Masako. 

     “Thanks, but that doesn’t help.” Eunji grabbed her hard cider and took a long, calming sip of the tart liquid. She usually had one of these at last once a week. Monday just had to be the perfect day for a drink, right? “I think I’ll open up the messenger. MC said the other two members are called Zen and Yoosung. I wonder what they are like. Will they be able to help?”

     Eunji fumbled around, trying to reach for her coffee table without disturbing Masako. The cat was somehow able to mold herself to Eunji’s stomach and stay on her master during the entire endeavor. The woman grumbled about suction cup cats, and turned her phone on in order to open the new app. Instead, her screen became dark, and a number popped up. Someone was attempting to call her. 

     “An unknown number? Who would be calling me?” She flipped the green phone icon, and brought the phone to her ear.”

     “Good evening, this is Eunji.”

     “Hello, Eunji.”


	5. The Chance

     “J-J-Jumin!?”

     Okay, right. This wasn’t so bad. So what if this was Jumin Han on the other line of the phone. She just had to ignore the sweat that was coating the lines of her shaking palms and her contrasting dry as a bone tongue. Eunji tensed, and Masako grabbed onto her owner’s legs with her paws to steady her fuzzy body.

     “Yes. Who else did you expect? You did receive the messenger app, did you not? My number should be in the registry,” came the cool, terse reply. Eunji shivered, (because, after all, his voice was powerfully sinful) put the phone on speaker, and searched through the messenger’s registry. No one else was on, and she could now clearly see Jumin’s number on the list of seven names. She should have plugged those into her phone’s memory!

     “Yes. Yes, you’re right.”

     “Of course I am.” He cleared his throat and continued. “Now let me get to the point of this call. I do have other pressing complications to deal with by the end of tonight.”

     “Alright, please. Go on.” She automatically began to eagerly stroke Masako’s warm, silky fur. By now, her toes had gone stone cold, and her feet may as well have been frigid marble.

     “I want to meet you at C&R tomorrow in my office at 9:00 am.”

     Her stomach fell at the same time her heart flew up her throat. The result was Eunji almost passing out onto poor, unsuspecting Masako. 

     “You. I.” Eunji swallowed. Hard. A meeting with the Jumin Han of C&R was her social ladder fantasy materializing from thin air. Was she somehow asleep dreaming this? Oh…There was only one catch. “Jumin, I have work tomorrow. Is there anyway we could met after my shift? Or on a weekend?” She caught a tiny sigh from the other line. 

     “That simply won’t do. I have a full itinerary up until Friday of next week, and I want to see you immediately.” Dang. If only that line wasn’t work related. Even dreamlike phone calls could only go so far. Still, she liked his persistence. 

     “Jumin, I would like to make that appointment, but my job will not let me with such short notice.” 

     “Nonsense. I have already called your supervisor, and she gladly decided to give you the time once she asked me to repeat to her who I was.”

     “Y-you called my supervisor?” What were they going to think at the office? He just marked out the boundary line of her personal life with the most potent cleaner on earth! Just because he was higher up than her in life doesn’t mean he could just go and call her boss. Or did it? Oh dear lord.

     “First, someone else answered. A woman named Youngmi, and then she transferred me to your supervisor. So, yes. I spoke with her.” There wasn’t anything else Eunji could do. The call had already been made. Her boss knew. Youngmi knew. Heck, the whole office knew. If she didn’t go to this meeting, she’d regret it, and everyone else wouldn’t let her forget that she alone willingly blew her big chance. Youngmi and Woojin would be relentless. Absently biting her lip, she made her choice.

     “Well, it would seem as though I’m suddenly free. Okay, Jumin. I’ll meet you tomorrow at nine.”

     “Good. Then I will now end the call. Make sure to eat a well balanced dinner. Goodbye.”

     Once Jumin Han’s low, soothing voice was cut clean, Eunji fiddled with her phone. She pulled up her text messaging system, and began to type furiously away.

Eunji: Youngmi, why didn’t you tell me about Jumin Han’s call today?  
Just a little bit of warning would have been helpful. At least Eunji could have prepped her voice so that it didn’t come out as a prepubescent girl at her first boy band concert. Dang it, she hated the way she sounded on the phone, but there was no going back now. 

Youngmi: Oh! Just waiting for you to ask!  
Of course she’d use that line. Youngmi was plain messing with her, simple as that. 

Eunji: Don’t give me that. Curse you and your meddling!

Youngmi: Girl, Jumin-freaking-Han called to make an appointment to see you himself. I didn’t make him do it. That was his choice.

Eunji: Ugh!!!

     Eunji bent over Masako and buried her face onto the cat’s soft fur. The immediate echoes of intense purrs filled her senses and calmed her. She scrubbed her hand across her head, tangling some of her red hair as she did so, and peaked at the next message her evil friend had sent.

Youngmi: This is your dream come true, right? RIGHT? Then go for the kill. Take him. As your own!

Eunji: The appointment is platonic. Nothing will come from it.

Youngmi: That’s how it staaaaaarts!

     Eunji’s face grew warm, and she had to shake her head back and forth to clear the sudden, heated fog crowding her vision. Jumin Han was an acquaintance. He was her idol because of his vast accomplishments. Comparing their budding friendship to a blooming romance was like saying Eunji had a chance to sleep with Einstein (who was also another intellectual idol.) Yes, she realized that Einstein was dead, and that wouldn’t be a fair comparison, yet the vast gap of death separating Eunji from Einstein might as well be between her and Jumin. There wasn’t even a remote possibility to be anything…more. Nada.

Nothing! 

Eunji: THERE’S NOTHING!

Youngmi: Melt his heart, sweetie.

Eunji: I’m done talking with you.

Youngmi: Love you, too.

Eunji: GAH!

     She promptly threw her phone onto the ground, too tired to invest anymore time with other people. Then she peered down at the face of her phone. It was late for her. She was usually asleep by ten, but it was well past eleven. The bedraggled woman rose from her couch, Masako nearly clinging to her, and picked up her phone. She wearily plugged in the device to charge for the night, and began her nightly routine. Brush teeth. Comb out her crazy hair. Take off make-up. Take out contacts. Slip into bed.

     Eunji snuggled under the swaddling covers, turning over to lay on her side. A pair of steely gray eyes met her. She almost fell out of the bed in utter shock, only to recall that the morning before, she had set the body pillow of Jumin Han onto her bed to avoid further deterioration on the pillow’s part. She’d completely forgot. Eunji blinked her worn eyes, resolving that it had been a hard day. No one had to know at all. That’s right, there was no reason to broadcast anything.  
That night, Eunji fell fast asleep while holding onto her birthday body pillow.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

     “Hi, Jaehee!” 

     Eunji shouldered her professional purse. She had temporarily replaced her denim backpack in favor of the purse she used for professional interviews or when she had to impress clients. She’d also gone through the trouble of letting her long, red hair down. She even let her hair form into their natural, curly waved style (something of which looked nice, but drove her absolutely mad. ) Not to mention her dark make-up was on point, nails painted a neutral tan, and breath as sweet as peppermint. Eunji woke up early to emulate what she thought Youngmi would do in such a situation. The result was not as well made out as her friend, but it was better than usual. Thank goodness she bought a nice looking pencil skirt and loose blouse the month before.

     Now she was in the broad, white marbled entrance to C&R. The building was impressive, sporting floor to ceiling windows, black with streaks of gold marbling used for the floor tiles, with white marble trimming the entrances. Intricate hand paintings of fruits, landscapes, and kittens in baskets were lined up perfectly in hallways and the reception area. Potted plants gave the space a nice, airy feelings, and a particularly well groomed bonsai tree sat center stage on a table of its own. Eunji stood, completely fascinated with the glass elevator transporting employees to their designated destinations, reminding herself to keep her mouth shut as she waited for Jaehee at the receptionist’s desk. A fine trickle of sweat ran down her back as a few minutes ticked by until the familiar face of Assistant Kang floated into view. 

     “Nice to see you again, Eunji.” They formally shook hands. Jaehee readjusted the ever present pile of papers in her right arm as she did so, and pushed her glasses up with her finger when they were finished. She turned and looked behind her shoulder. “Please, follow me.” Eunji nodded and trod behind Jaehee like an over eager puppy. Eunji was about to enter the real deal! This was what a top company looked like. Oh man, she had to talk or else she was going to start shaking!

     “Did you have a good night?” There. That was safe enough territory to start with.

     “If your definition of ‘good’ means a couple hours of sleep and some convenience store food, then yes. I had a relatively good night,” Jaehee said as evenly as possible without looking behind her. The woman put multitasking to the extreme as she typed something on her phone, looked over a document, engaged in conversation with Eunji, and navigated hallways brimming with workers. 

     “Oh.” _Very riveting, Eunji. Good job._ Eunji inwardly sighed.

     “And you?”

     “I slept okay. My cat, Masako, kept putting her face into mine, trying to get me to feed her. She was so cute.”   
Jaehee’s shoulders stiffed, and she breathed out something that almost sounded like, “…another cat person…watch out, Zen.”  
Eunji leaned over, trying to catch Jaehee’s mumbles. “What?”

         “Hmn, nothing at all. Anyway, here we are.” The assistant stopped at a large black door. Beside the paneling with a gold plate labeled, Jumin Han, in blocky letters. Eunji’s stomach squeezed, and she felt as though she were going to hurl. She balled her fists behind her back. Jaehee, perhaps sensing the massive amounts of unease oozing from poor Eunji, finally faced her peer and attempted a comforting smile. “Don’t worry. Mr. Han may seem intimidating, but he only lacks a few social graces. He usually means no harm.”

      “I’m not worried, but thank you, Jaehee.” Eunji smiled back. Worried. No. Overly excited to be in the office of the man who single handedly saved the stocks of a failing section of his company in less than a month? Yes. Jaehee blinked, juggled with more of her papers, and then knocked on Jumin’s door.

     “Until next time,” Jaehee promised. There was an answering call from behind the door, and the assistant inclined her head at Eunji, signaling for her to open the door. Eunji jolted to attention, grabbing onto the cold metal and turning the knob. She was going to thank Jaehee for all of her help thus far, but the assistant was already on the prowl, disappearing down the hall like a busy worker bee. Eunji entered the business room, closing the door behind her.

     “Good morning, Jumin,” she greeted on reflex.

     “Ah, good. You’ve arrived.” Jumin sat on a steady, rolling chair padded with black leather. Before him was an ebony desk layered with a fine sheet of glass. Two chairs, equally as comfortable looking as Jumin’s, were set before the desk, posed for an in depth conversion. Behind Jumin were the same floor to ceiling windows that were displayed in the reception room five floors below. Eunji could see the cityscape and beyond, and noted with concern that her own office building could be picked out of the jumble of structures very easily as it was painted a deep, brick red. Jumin glanced at his wristwatch and clucked.“You are exactly on time as well. Wonderful. Please, take a seat.” Eunji avoided staggering as she took his advice and sat at the chair to the left of the desk. 

     “Thank you. So, what is the purpose of this meeting?”

      “I am glad you’ve gone straight to the point. Most people prattle.” Jumin was meticulously clean shaven today. He was wearing the usual dark suit and suit pants paired with a purple tie lined with black stripes, and a solid purple kerchief. His sleek black hair was quaffed to a perfection Eunji thought only existed in grand murals from Ancient Greece. He was straight backed and elegant. 

     Alright, she had to focus now. None of this ogling unsuspecting Jumin, who only called her for something strictly business related. Or RFA related. She had to be professional, and not breathe in the faintly clover and vanilla scented cologne he clearly just put on. Nope. Not even going to take a whiff! “Then I, too, shall get to the heart of the matter. That pillow. The one with me in a promiscuous position made to entice females and males of the like, do you use it regularly?”

     Professional my foot!

     “Uh, well, you see, like I said, my friends gave that to me as a prank for my birthday. I…” Actually have used. Just last night, actually. “Haven’t used it.”

     “And why is that?”

     “Umm, you see. I…” What am I supposed to say here? Eunji, unable to keep eye contact with Jumin’s gray, unyielding stare, instead focused on a picture set onto the man’s desk. She could make out someone with mint blue hair, someone else with long, yellow locks, and a figure that was obviously Jumin.

     “Do not worry. I am not offended. You’ve only proved a hypothesis of mine. Those body pillows are for others to take comfort in. Sometimes the content is too slanderous or risky for most consumers.” Jumin shook his head. He grabbed a pen that was inlaid with, were those diamonds? Jumin then began to unconsciously tap the tip of the pen on a pile of documents.

     “I believe that the best option in making said pillows would be to change the subject completely.”

     “So, you’re saying that you want to make pillows that don’t have anime and manga characters or real people printed on them?” Eunji snatched the opportunity to get off of the, do-you-snuggle-with-a-pillow-that-looks-like-me track. In the meantime, Jumin did present an interesting mind puzzle.

     “Exactly so. I want to make large pillows of animals. Cats to be exact.” Jumin flipped over a document page, revealing a picture of a gorgeous white cat with brilliant blue eyes. A fine specimen of beauty indeed.  
Somewhere from beyond the office, Eunji heard the sharp exhalation of a sneeze sounding suspiciously like Jaehee. Eunji shrugged. What Jumin presented was an interesting topic. There was just one thing.

     “What would set them apart from regular large stuffed animals?”

     “I would like to thank you for not arguing against my proposal and instead engaging with the issue at hand. Indeed, I have pondered that same question. I would like to have my cat, Elizabeth the 3rd, model as the special cat body pillow. I would even deem to install a removable recording of her angelic voice so that others may know of her sweet disposition.” Jumin let just the corner of his lips turn up in a ghost of a smile. That smile both chilled and endeared her. Was there a way for him to grin without the sadness and hint of pain she saw?

     “Goodness, you really love your cat.”

     “She is my everything,” he bluntly said. He narrowed his eyes, as if challenging her to speak negatively about his preference. Eunji kept her mouth shut. She also loved her cat. Who was she to complain? “But what do you think of the proposal?”

     “Well, that is one possibility.” Then a thought hit her. “You can also expand on the idea by doing personalized requests of other client’s pets. Cats, dogs, birds. You could get a staff to illustrate the animal, and the client can provide the recording.” Jumin wrote down a few notes on a clean piece of lined paper.

     “Excellent. Elizabeth the 3rd could be the demo of the product,” Jumin suggested. 

      “And the client would always have something to remind him or her of their pet,” Eunji added. She was having fun spitballing ideas around with the Director of C&R. 

     “Amazing. I shall get Assistant Kang to assemble a staff for the project.” Jumin pulled out his cell phone, typed in a message, and then slipped the device back onto the table. “Ah, and yes. You have proved yourself eloquently enough just now.” He inclined a sharp eyebrow and steepled his fingers upon the desk. The glass reflected his image, doubling the amount of insistent stares pointed at her from the Director. All of this time, Eunji was doing great. She had momentarily forgotten her starstruck aptitude up until Jumin Han completely set his attentions upon her. She felt as though the Rocky Mountain Range had dropped onto her.

     “What do you mean?” Her mouth went dry. Her armpits were losing the good battle.

     “Eujin, I would like to hire you to be Assistant Kang’s assistant.”

     “What?!” Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, almost making her deaf to Jumin’s next words.

    “Just as I said. I have already spoken with your supervisor, and she gave an exemplary review of your character. Although she had noted you are shy and needed to become more outgoing, and I agree. You need improvement in said area.”

     “I—“

     “She gave her blessings to you if you so wish to transfer to C&R.”

     “Ju—“

     “Of course, I do not expect an answer right now. Only by the end of the night.”

     “Plea—“

     “My father is hoping to retire in the near future.” Jumin sighed and messaged the bridge of his nose with two slender fingers. “That would mean that I would become the CEO of C&R. I would only entrust my empty position to Assistant Kang and no one else. As such, I need her to train a new assistant, and she seems to enjoy your company enough. You may be more used to this sort of work than Yoosung. You’re suitable.”

     “Jumin!”

     “Hmn?” He blinked as if she had forcefully woke him up from a particularly engaging nap.

     “Why me? Not just for this assistant position, but for the RFA as well? I’m just an office worker. There’s nothing outstanding about me.”

     Eunji thought of her mother. Of how badly she pleaded for her daughter to stay and take over her hotel business when the time came. Of how Eunji was convinced that going to University would guarantee a job that she loved, respect, support, and a chance to grow into the woman she knew she could become; someone to change the world. Instead, she got stuck in a nowhere job, thrust into a monotony of a bleak 9-5 routine. Eunji was half convinced that she had done something wrong. Other people had taken the same steps she had and proved to become worthy. She hadn’t. In the end, she had convinced herself that she was broken. A useless vessel that couldn’t even achieve her own dreams. Just the fact that she was talking to the Jumin Han not only seemed unreal, but in a sense, she felt as though she didn’t deserve this opportunity. Maybe that was what she felt was off from the beginning of this venture.

     Jumin frowned and stood. He walked around the desk and sat at the chair that faced Eunji’s. He rested his elbows on his knees, and gave all of his attention to her so that there would be no doubt to his next words.

     “Eunji, I am asking you exactly for the reasons I have already expressed. I do not believe in fate or special connections or anything supernatural of the such. I believe in coincidence. Because of your bad timing on Friday, I met you. Because you were clumsy and stole my phone, I needed to retrieve it. I did not want to handle an emergency RFA situation, and you appeared modest enough for me to ask to join our organization. My RFA friends like you. I also like you. Your supervisor says you work hard. That is why I have offered you a job. That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

     “I guess that helps…” That was all this was. She was just a mistake.

      “You should go and think about my offer. Call me when you have an answer.”

     Even if she was just a mistake, she’d be insane to pass up her one and only chance to prove to herself…whatever it was she needed to prove.

     “There’s no need. I already know.”

     “Yes?” He leaned over, and his scent filled her head. Now it was her turn to narrow her eyes. She smiled.

     “I accept your offer.”

     Jumin let out a low breath. Was he worried she would say no?

      “I am glad. I shall draw up the papers in due time. But there is one stipulation, Eunji.”

     “Yes?”

      Again, Jumin gave her that look. The look where he gave his everything in order to let her know  
that he was listening. That what she said mattered.

     “Do not put yourself down again. Ever. None of my staff are sub-par. You should think yourself a valuable asset, because you are. Do you agree?”

      _I’m not a mistake. I…I am valuable. I’m valuable._

     “Yes!”

 


	6. The Warning

     Obviously, Eujin needed to finish the rest of the work week out before she began the new chapter of her life as Jaehee’s assistant. There were paper’s to file, multiple people to contact, and loose threads to bind all by Friday’s end. Once her last paper was filed, and she had a parting interview with her boss, Eunji’s friends from the office cornered her at the exit. Two imposing shadows loomed over the harried Eunji. Her best friends.

     Youngmi and Woojin both decided that the best way to send their former coworker and friend off into the big bad corporate world was to throw a proper hello-goodbye party. Woojin explained the finer details to Eunji, who initially had no clue what in the world a hello-goodbye party even was.

     “It’s where your old coworkers see you off, and your new coworkers welcome you!” Woojin folded his long, gangly arms and puffed out his cheeks at her, pretending to be hurt that she didn’t know what the party entailed. Theatrics like this usually meant that she was being played.

     “So, you basically just want to hang out at my place and meet my new boss, right?” Eunji stared down Woojin and Youngmi until the former broke.

     “Yeah, you’re right. Doesn’t mean we can’t make up a cool name and get what we want at the same time!” Youngmi slapped her hand on her face, their cover so thoroughly busted.

     And so Eunji found herself preparing tea cakes, bite sized snacks, chilled soup, and piping hot tea for the large group of people that were supposed to be squeezed into her tiny apartment on Sunday. Not only were Youngmi and Woojin attending her hello-goodbye party, but Jaehee, MC, and Saeran. She’d never had so many people over before, and the looming event made her nerves frazzle. Frazzled nerves equaled a deep clean of the entire apartment. The floor, vacuumed. The counters, snoroxed. Dishes, scrubbed spotless. Floors, swept. Toilets, germless. Shelves, dusted. Litter box, hidden and away from MC. All of this while she brewed Earl Grey tea, sliced cucumbers and buttered bread, blended cream with cherries, baked croissants, and set out her living room coffee table with dish ware. 

     “I’m beginning to see why I don’t do this often,” Eunji huffed out. She finally was able to lounge on her couch, her entire body aching. Masako cleaned her paw, pretending to be angry at Eunji for using the vacuum earlier.

     Soon, the guests began to arrive one after another. First Youngmi, then Woojin. They had been over to her apartment before, and Woojin immediately zeroed onto Masako. He plucked the large cat up like nothing, encompassing the animal into his oversized embrace. Woojin was very much allergic to cats and was unable to own one despite is avid love for the creatures. Yougmi only rolled her fake eyelash eyes, and sat down at her place at the table. She was more for large dogs like golden retrievers or Great Danes. She had complained more than once that her apartment complex should really let her adopt a dog, only to be turned down twice. The woman really loved her large breed (aka too big for apartments) dogs.   
Jaehee, MC, and Saeran arrived all at once. It would seem as though they carpooled in one of Saeyoung’s fancy red vehicles. The three removed their shoes and meandered over to the table where Eunji had set out her vast amount of goodies to be tasted and ogled over. 

     “Saeyoung says he’s sorry for not being able to attend,” MC said as she poured herself a cup of unsweetened tea. “He’s caught up developing a toy. When he gets like that, I usually leave him be.”

     “It’s his loss,” Saeran mumbled. He was already spooning the chilled cherry soup to his mouth. Eunji couldn’t help but watch as the pink liquid disappeared behind the man’s soft lips. It had been a while since she’d made something like this. Did he like it? “Not bad,” Saeran said aloud as if he knew Eunji was waiting for his thoughts. She smiled and grabbed a cucumber sandwich.

     “Thank you for the meal.” Jaehee bowed her head and munched on a croissant. She was balancing a notepad on one knee, scribbling something down, her glasses shining. 

     “Hey now, Jaehee, was it?” Youngmi hooked an arm round Jaehee, starling the other woman to attentiveness. “This is a party! No need to work. Besides,” Youngmi shot an mischievous look over to Eunji who in turn bristled, “you’ll have this one to help you out tomorrow.”

     “That is true,” Eunji reluctantly agreed. 

     Jaehee stared at her work, then the table laden with delicious food, all the way around to the eager faces ready for her response. Woojin held up a pliable Masako to model the cat after someone praying, paws pressed together. “Pleeaase,” he meowed in a cat’s voice. Jaehee sighed and set down her working materials.

     “Fine, if only to avoid antics like that in the near future.”

     “Yay!” MC cheered, razing her teacup in the air. 

      “Well, then. Would any of you like to play a game?” Eunji offered.  
And for the rest of the night, the group played games (such as cards, guessing games, and a drinking game minus MC,) watched a young adult dystopian movie, and gossiped about their work places. Eunji enjoyed every minute of the gathering, a soft glow pulsating at the pit of her stomach. Almost all of the food and drinks were gone save for a bowl of chilled soup and a few sandwiches.

     “Too bad Jumin couldn’t come over,” she sighed absently.

      Everyone turned, staring at her. She perked up, wondering if she had said something silly.

     “Jumin doesn’t really like to have free time,” MC commented. Masako was now on the pregnant woman’s lap completely stretched out. MC had pulled back her brunette locks of hair, and yet she still had her bangs covering her eyes. Saeran restlessly shuffled some of his cards, attempting to avoid the turn the conversation took. Jaehee sipped her coffee malt drink.

     “He has been withdrawn the past few years, that is true, but for good reason,” Jaehee pointed out.

     “Would it be prying too much to ask why?” Eunji was suddenly completely sober. Youngmi, perhaps sensing blood in the water, straightened in her seat as well. Woojin was still to wounded by Masako’s abandonment to pay attention. Plus, he was too focused on the runny nose Masako had drawn from him.

     “I think that is something Jumin should feel comfortable telling you himself in due time.” MC scratched under Masako’s chin. “The safe answer is that his best friend passed away. He still misses his friend very dearly. Since his friend’s death, Jumin has become even more withdrawn and harder to communicate with. A stone cold statue on the outside.”

     “To be frank, I thought he was going to throw Yoosung into the position he instead gave to you. He has always been talking about the possibility, even when Yoosung entered into a veterinary school.” Jaehee swayed, taking another drink.

     “Yes. The fact that he took interest in anyone enough to order to them to join the RFA is shocking in itself,” MC chuckled.

     “Oh,” Eunji. She wasn’t feeling in the party mood anymore, and yet they were her guests. And she was the one who opened the can of worms. She had to take responsibility. “I guess…well, I’ll bring him some of the leftovers from tonight for lunch.” It was the least she could do for his willingness to open up to her.

     “Good luck,” Jaehee hiccuped. “He’s very strict with his nutrition.”

     “Jaehee. That malt only has 3 percent alcohol content. You’re only halfway through,” Saeran noted. He was done playing with the cards, and had somehow created an intricate, three floor card mansion. Saeran wiped a hand over his hair, and a few strands stuck up.

     “N-n-nonsense!” Jaehee hiccuped one more time, her shining maple eyes glazing over. She promptly fell over onto Youngmi’s lap. Youngmi patted the assistant’s head.

     “Poor little Assistant Kang,” Youngmi crooned. 

     “I guess that is our hint to bring her back home.” MC picked up Masako, stood, and set the cat back on Woojin’s oversized lap. “I think bringing Jumin lunch is a good idea. Just don’t feel offended if he refuses it. That’s just how he is sometimes.”

     “You’re right. It doesn’t hurt to try!” Eunji jumped up and saw everyone out. Before Saeran exited behind MC, a woozy Jaehee, Youngmi, and a puffed up Woojin, he pulled Eunji aside. His large hand was hot against her cold upper arm.

     “Listen, I’m the cause of Jumin’s pain. I’m not afraid to admit my part in all of this.” Saeran cast his vivid blue eyes down, a grimace lining his thin lips. “And that’s why I want to tell you something. It may help him.”

     “What is it?” Eunji leaned over. The Choi twin smelled like sweet chocolate ice cream despite nearly finishing off her entire batch of cherry cream soup.

     “I can’t say much here. Best to call you at another time. Just keep an eye out. Something’s been going on.” His words were low, intentionally trying to evade prying ears. Eunji gulped, reaching out to pat Saeran’s shoulder in thanks. He immediately flinched away. 

     “S-sorry.”

     “No. It’ not that. I’m…” Saeran rolled his shoulders. “It’s nothing. Just watch out, alright?” With that pleading crack in his voice, he turned and left. “Thanks for the soup.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

23:05 am

 **Eunji** : And that’s how Jumin offered me the job.

 **ZEN** : That trust fund kid had no class. Using cat projects to interview a prospective employee. No class at all…

 **Eunji** : How would you have done it, then?

 **ZEN** : I am glad you asked, my lady.

 **Yoosung*** : Now you’ve done it, Eunji.

 **ZEN** : He should have called me over and decided if you worthy by gazing upon me.

 **Eunji** : What?!

 **ZEN** : Unworthy if you fainted from the mere sight of a God on Earth. Worthy if you were left still standing. <3 <3 <3

 **Yoosung** *: Don’t worry, Eunji. You’ll get used to this.

 **Eunji** : I guess that does make some sense. I never imagined the person on the messenger is the actual actor, ZEN, I see in movies lately. It’s a good way to root out those who become paralyzed easily versus those who aren’t effected.

 **ZEN** : Exactly! See, unlike others here, someone understands the purpose of my saintly beauty.

 **Yoosung** *: You’ve officially unleashed the beast.

 **ZEN** : Here’s a selfie of me right now. The lighting in the mirror is perfect!

 **Eunji** : You take good pictures, Zen.

 **Yoosung** *: Never mind Zen. I want to see what you look like, Eunji!

 **ZEN** : Yeah! I wanna see the woman who peaked our spoiled Director’s interest enough for him to actually…gasp, talk!

 **Eunji** : Sorry, I’m in my pajamas. Here you go anyway.

 **Yoosung*** : Wow! You’re so pretty!

 **ZEN** : I wonder if Jumin really does have an appreciation for women. You watch out for him, Eunji.

 **Eunji** : Guys, I’m in my pj’s. No need to say stuff to inflate my ego. Anyway, I’m just glad to have finally met you two.

 **Yoosung** *: I’m glad to meet you, too. Sorry I haven’t been on much. Classes have been tough lately.

 **Eunji** : That’s fine. I’ve been there.

 **ZEN** : Hey! I’m glad to have met you, AND I’m extra glad to have met you in order to remind you that you’re pretty. Don’t take anything less from anyone else!

 **Yoosung*** : Ditto!

 **Eunji** : Umm, thanks! Hmn, I should probably go to sleep. I have to be in by eight.

 **ZEN** : Make sure rest well. A nice beer usually helps me.

 **Yoosung** *: Nighty night!

 **Eunji** : Thanks to you both. Sweet dreams!  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

1:15 am

 **Jumin** : Seems as though I missed everyone...

 


	7. The Epiphany

     Staring at her bed, Eunji heavily sighed. Being able to speak with the other members of the RFA soothed her frayed nerves, but now that the phone was down and charging on her nightstand, Eunji couldn’t help but recall Saeran’s rushed, parting words down to hush low, hushed intonation; “Just keep an eye out. Something’s been going on.” A creeping feeling shivered its way down her spine, and she attempted to shake it off. She scratched her head just to feel like she could do something about the situation.

    _What in the world was Saeran talking about? Something is going on, as in more than what Jumin has already been through? A current something? I wish he would have just come out with it.  
_

     Eunji snuggled into her fuzzy bed, realizing that she had gone to bed late more times than she could count since meeting Jumin Han. She’d never been such a night owl since working at her old company. And now each time she closed her eyes there was something churning inside of her noggin. Bubbling thoughts like, _I_ _hope_ _Jumin likes my work ethic_ , or _jee, now how can I decode this cryptic message from Saeran?_ and, _will Jumin like the leftovers I bring?_ She hadn’t had such turbulent turmoil in her life since her undergraduate days, and back then that certain mess was plain unpleasant. No. What was occurring now was kind of…fun? Except for the whole creepy Saeran bit that is. That was a category of its own.

     Masako deftly jumped up onto the bed and somehow molded her large body onto Eunji’s head like some sort of furry, oversized hat that purred. Her little rabbit-like paws kneaded at Eunji’s red hair, making the mass of red waves into a make-shift nest, until the cat yawned and sweetly fell into a dreamless sleep. Eunji joined her pet in sleep, letting her dreaming brain steer her jumbled thoughts.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

     Needless to say, working at C&R was extremely tough work. When Eunji walked in wearing her gray dress suit, the one she bought years before but never had a chance to actually use, Jaehee swooped in like a eagle catching it’s frantic mouse prey. Eunji was flung into the experienced assistant’s office where she was given hills upon mountain of paperwork to complete with signatures and dates, and given an hour long orientation video on Jaehee’s desktop computer that featured some C&R employees she hadn’t met yet describing the work she will attend to in the future. Once the last lines of the video “we hope you enjoy your stay at C&R” filtered into the still air from the video clip, Jaehee plucked out bright purple folders from her bulging pile of papers on her shiny maple desk and plopped them in front of Eunji.

     Eunji needed to blink a few times in order to steady herself. Orientation day was always a thick bog of information you would end up forgetting the very next day. When her vision cleared of bouncing rules and regulations, she was able to properly observe Jaehee’s office for the first time. Probably three fourths the size of Jumin’s massive office, Jaehee had filing cabinet lining all of her beige walls. There were some pictures of the actor ZEN in the right corner of the office set up like some sort of shrine complete with a printed ZEN candle, while the other posters scattered on the walls were of coffee in warm colored hues. In fact, there was a wooden rolling coffee trolley at one side of the room set with a coffee maker, cream, and sugar. The sight of the dark liquid in its glass pitcher made Eunji’s mouth water. She had to forgo her morning cup to get to work on time.

     “These are all of the cat projects Mr. Han has assigned me. You seem to like feline company and have a better understanding of their needs. Are you comfortable enough to lead the research on these projects?” Behind her thick glasses, Jaehee’s dark eyes were pleading, downright begging with Eunji— _Please, please, please take these insane projects away from me_!

     “Since your are my assistant now, taking the cat projects would highly assist me.” Alright, Eunji could take the obvious hint.

     “Leave them to me, Jaehee. I’ll be honest, I might need some some help here and there. I haven’t directed a team before. Only been in one. I’m confident I can do it with your guidance, though.”

     “Thank goodness.” Jaehee sagged, stepping back to fall into the chair meant for clients. She lifted a hand and messaged the bridge of her nose. “I can finally complete non-cat related projects, and at the same time you can receive experience on building teams. I’m too scared to say that this is a dream come true…so I won’t.”

     “I’m excited to help out!” Eunji pulled the purple folders over to her and perused through the documents. These proposals actually looked like she’d enjoy them.

     “Now, let’s take a lunch break. If you’d like, I have coffee ready.” 

     “Yes please!”

     And although Jaehee said the word break, the woman still filled out her documents while eating from a lunch box she bought at a store. Eunji smiled, pulling out something from the fabric shoulder bag she had packed earlier in the morning.

     “I brought some extra food, Jaehee. Here!”

     Around ten minutes later, Eunji was in front of Jumin Han’s door. She didn’t feel any less nervous than the first time she came here. At least, there would be no random pop culture lines stuttered out when she saw Jumin. Her cheeks flushed from recalling her embarrassing first time meeting the businessman. Yet he had her join the RFA and his company. Maybe Star Bores lines were the way to get people interested in you? Eunji let out a slow breath and knocked on the huge, imposing door. 

     “Hello, Jumin? May I come in?” She tentatively called out. She’d have to work on that. One of the improvements she had to smooth out was her tendency to be soft spoken and shy. Jumin thought she could do it, and for some reason, she believed him.

     “I’m on lunch. You have a maximum of five minutes,” came the distracted reply from inside. Opening the door and walking in, Eunji was once again struck by how handsome Jumin Han was. He had discarded his suit jacket, leaving his light purple vest and white undershirt exposed. The vest closed in around his waist just enough to accentuate his narrow hips. His shoulders were slight, but strong under the vest. He was standing at his massive windows, staring out over the city like some lonesome literary character come to life, sipping from a crystal flute of dark red wine. Outside was a murky blue, cloudy kind of day, where the moisture bogged your bones down along with your spirit. Yet a streak of pure golden sunlight poured from a thin cloud to land directly on Jumin, lighting up is flawless ivory skin and midnight black hair. He was glowing like some sort of dang epiphany! Eunji gulped, accidentally picturing this Jumin as the one printed on her body pillow. On her bed. Watching her with cool, gray eyes. Half naked.

     Her hands instantly were slathered with nervous sweat, and her arm pits were no better. She’d have to sneak into a restroom and reapply deodorant. Dang it. Everything was going picture perfect until…until she admitted that Jumin Han was a man. A desirable one. A kind, sweet, and straight-to-the-point man. A man she also wanted to kiss. 

      _Crap. No, Eunji. You can’t be thinking that. Remember Einstein? How you’d have a better chance with a dead man? There’s no way Jumin would be remotely interested, and I shouldn’t be either. Now, biological clock, if you could just be set on snooze, that would be awesome._

     “Here. I’ve brought some leftovers from last night’s party for you. No need to warm anything up.” Eunji quickly walked over to the desk and set her tiny package on the glass top. Jumin turned, the light still illuminating his features, and stared at the bowl and plastic bag of food Eunji set up before him.

     “There was no need. I already have lunch planned for today.” Jumin cocked his head like a cat sizing up its next tasty can of tuna. Eunji bit her lip to keep from making an endearing noise. Why did he go from godly handsome to wistfully cute? She also wondered if drinking wine was also part of Jumin’s planned lunch.

     “Okay. I’ll still leave them here for a snack.” Eunji would not be deterred. “The chilled cherry soup was a hit, and you might like it.” Eunji thought back to Saeran spooning up the soup with focused vigor. _Just keep an eye out. Something’s going on._ Blinking, she watched as Jumin carefully set his wine down onto a ceramic coaster and peered at the imposing meal.

     “Chilled cherry soup?” She saw an emotion pass over his face. Something fleeting and akin to nostalgia. 

     “Yes! It’s in the Tupperware, here.” Eunji pointed to the clear plastic bowl topped with a blue lid.

     “I’ve never had cherry soup before, let alone from commoner’s Tupperware. Does that effect the taste? I actually may try some.” He sat onto his cushioned chair, pulling the bowl to the center of his desk. He popped the lid open, grabbing the plastic spoon Eunji had placed next to the bowl. There was a sort of childlike curiosity emanating from Jumin’s being in pulsating waves. He was a like a kid about to experience the most expensive dessert on the menu. More than ever, Eunji desperately wished that Saeran could have just told her his suspicions. 

     “Eh…anyway, feel free to try it out. I have to get back to Jaehee. My lunch break is over now.” Eunji turned and sped out of Jumin’s office. Actually, she had five minutes left. She just had to clean up her traitorous body from all of that star struck sweat. 

     “Take care,” Jumin said absently as he lifted the spoon brimming with pink liquid up to his lips, taking his first bite, and smiling.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
**Eunji** : Planning on following up with what you said earlier?

     She was lounging at her favorite bookstore, Burns n’ Troble, after her first week of work. She was with the infamous duo, Youngmi and Woojin. Today, Youngmi was all yellow. Long yellow nails with sparkling stones on the tips, gold and brown eyeshadow around her darkly lined eyes, a canary yellow corded sweater, a matching yellow skirt, and shiny goldenrod high heels. That much yellow would have been outrageous for any other person other than Youngmi. Coordination was the woman’s life, and she used her skills to make the unmatchable, matched. Woojin was reading translated manga, giggling at a particular scene in his oversized black t-shirt and baggy jeans, all of which made him seem even more oversized than he already was. He still hadn’t taken the hint with growing out his bangs. They all three were at their usual table in the back of the café. Eunji furiously typed away at her phone after having distracted Youngmi with placing a dirty novel in front of her friend’s nose.

 **Saeran** : Give me time. I’ll let you know.

 _That’s not going to help me_ , Saeran. Jumin had done so much for her. She was fueled to discover how she could help.

 **Saeran** : I’ll text you whenever I crack the case. That may take a while. What I’m looking for is high security. Don’t worry. I’ll let you know asap.

 **Eunji** : Alright.

     She took a swig of her drink, thought, and then typed more down. 

**Eunji** : Are you sure you’re not some sort of mystical character who only texts veiled info? Like Gandolfe from Lord of the Bings?

 **Saeran** : If only… :-)

 **ZEN** : Hey! How come Saeran and Eunji have a secret code here, and I still haven’t even met her yet? 

**Saeran** : I’ve been to her apartment and ate her food, too. :-P

 **ZEN** : What?! Eunji, invite me over, too! You can’t pass up this handsome face. I‘ll even share some of the new lines I got for my next film.

 **Yoosung*** : I don’t need the lines, but I’d like to meet you in person, Eunji. I need a break from school. T_T

 **Saeran** : I wouldn’t, you know…mind hanging out again…

 **Eunji** : Sure. Last time was fun. 

     She looked up, trying to conjure up a place to gather all of her new friends. Burns n’ Troble was a little too cramped to bring such a large company. Even finding a place to sit with Youngmi and Woojin was particularly difficult. Perhaps she could take them to the new coffee shop that opened a few months back next to her apartment. She hadn’t mustered up the strength to visit yet, but she knew that the shop was famous for its spacious floor plan and oversized plush recliners. That could be fun. 

**Eunji** : Maybe we can all to go a coffee shop I know.

 **Yoosung*** : GREAT! YES! Lol. Some time to decompress!!! When would you like to meet?

 **ZEN** : I’ll check my schedule. I should be completely free in…hmn…GAH! Two weeks-ish.

 **Saeran** : I’ll ask MC and Saeyoung, too. They should be all in for whatever.

 **Eunji** : Cool! And don’t worry. We’ll find a time.

 **Jaehee** : Coffee, hmn? I’m not one to invite myself to events, but could I also join?

 **Eunji** : Of course. Wouldn’t be fun without you!

 **Jaehee** : …thank you. You’re very kind, even after your first hectic week at C&R.

 **Eunji** : I had a great time! I look forward to working at C&R for a while.

 **ZEN** : First I’ve heard anyone say that they had a _great time_ working with the Trust Fund Kid.

 **Jaehee** : We seem to look at the world through different lenses, Eunji. I find working with Mr. Han a little…difficult. At least you have taken the burden of cat projects off of my shoulders.

 **Eunji** : Glad to be of service! As for Jumin…I think that he’s a pleasant person. He doesn’t bother me.

 **ZEN** : PLEASANT?! Are we talking about the same robot, here?

 **Eunji** : Robot? I’ve never thought of him as a robot. He’s just stoic and aloof, but he has plenty of feelings. He even has some pretty funny jokes.

Yoosung*: Nope. Totally not talking about the same Jumin.

 **Saeran** : He could have a split personality. It’s, umm, possible.

 **Eunji** : Guuuysss. Just leave the issue be.

 **Jaehee** : Speaking of Mr. Han, I have to leave. He is calling. I bet it’s about that.

 **Eunji** : What’s that?

 **Jaehee** : Oh. Nevermind. Forget I said anything. Please, eat well for dinner. Bye.

 **Saeran** : Hmn…well. I have to go, too. Maybe, I guess if you make it again or whatever, I can have more of that cherry soup, Eunji. 

**Eunji** : Yeah. I’d love to make more.

 **ZEN** : I’m heading off, too. Gotta keep in shape!

 **Yoosung*** : My mom is calling. Loggingg off as a;, tooo

 **ZEN** : That boy and his typos.

 **Eujin** : ttyl

     “Sooo, what’s up? You got red while talking to that RFA of yours awhile ago. And don’t try to cover it up because red heads are unable to lie. Your blushes are enough of a lie detector.” Youngmi had slammed her dirty novel down upon confirming that Eunji had finished speaking on the messenger. 

     “And you started to gulp down your latte. You always do that when you’re nervous,” Woojin said without looking up. His skills of observation were sharp, even while reading an intense shonen manga. 

     “Can’t get anything past you two,” Eunji grumbled.

     “Is it because you want to hook up with Jumin Han?” Youngmi asked in her usual loud (may we say very loud) speaking voice. Most of the café, which had previously been focused on their own activities, immediately dropped what they were doing to stare at Eunji. One middle aged woman comically brought down her magazine from eye level to gape google eyes at Eunji, the cover of the magazine? _Jumin Han to be C &R’s New CEO_! The barista, also in shock, did not notice that the espresso foam they had been making overflowed from its cup, and barista number two stepped right into the mess, toppling over with a crash. A man, who had been inspecting a ceramic mug in the shape of a cow, let the item slip from his hands, and soon the tinkle of broken mug shards accompanied the dead silence. Eunji groaned and slipped down her seat, glaring daggers at Youngmi.

     “What? It’s true,” Youngmi commented, unperturbed. She acted as though it was Eunji who was being childish. 

     “First, have you heard of an indoor voice? Something from grade school? Is this jogging your memory?”

     “This is my indoor voice,” Youngmi said, stunned.

     “Second, NO. No I do not want to hook up with J-J-Jumin Han.” Eunji set her forehead on the cool table before her. “I don’t want anything from him except his respect,” she sighed. Her chest felt as though ropes had bound themselves around her ribs and were tightening, tightening, _tightening_. As she said the words, she was slowly coming to the understanding that they just weren’t true. She did want more. She wanted to figure out what could be putting Jumin in danger, according to Saeran. She wanted to make Jumin laugh and smile like that first day he’d come for his phone. She wanted him to be happy when he saw her. She…

      _Crap. Crap, crap, crap!  
_

     Eunji was falling for Jumin Han. 

     “I don’t even like him like that. He’s just…my idol…” she whispered in defeat.

     And she was falling for him like Alice down the rabbit hole.

 


	8. The Cherry Soup

     Eunji was not falling in love with anyone. Love destroyed ambition. Love distracted even the most diligent of workers. It was messy, painful, and a hinderance. Sure, back during her University days she fancied a few men and had a crush on a girl three years her senior, but all of that ceased when her father…anyway, there was no time or patience for love. Eunji promised herself that she would stay on track. 

_Do above and beyond with my new job. Rise the ranks. Climb that ladder! Do **not** fall in love!_

     Easier said than done. For the next two weeks, she had to suffer through working knowing that just a few hallways down from her was the man that made her pulse beat out of control and mind cloud like the Costa Rican Cloud Forest.

     Sometimes, Jumin would call her into his office just to show off pictures of Elizabeth the 3rd. Well, Jumin called them pictures. All Eunji could make out were white smudges on his phone screen. In turn, Eunji shared the latest pictures of Masako. He’d nod saying that cats were indeed the superior pet breed not knowing that Eunji was breathing in his scent (He changed his cologne every day for a change of pace, but never picked out the scents himself. He told Eunji that he let Elizabeth the 3rd paw at the bottles he proffered to her.) Before Eunji could escape back to the safe coffee lair thusly known as Jaehee’s office, Jumin would insist upon discussing the latest stocks in the company. In turn, Eunji would play devil’s advocate, turning their conversation into a frenzied debate of spitballing ideas. These debates would take up most of Eunji’s lunchtime, and sometimes Jumin would text her at night to follow up on a point.

     There were more cat projects added to Eunji’s list. She was glad to have multiple tasks to take her mind to a more work related space. Pretty soon, she would end up like Jaehee, with her nose always pressed to some sort of document. That was alright with her. Not only did she plunge into the cat projects with a hungry fervor, but she also seriously thought about the guests she wanted to invite to the RFA party. On her third week at C&R, she lounged at Burns n’ Troble alone in the back and as far away from the café as she could be just in case people recognized her from Youngmi’s student a while back.

 **Eunji** : MC, I see that you’re logged in.

_Yes! Just the person I needed to see!_

**MC** : I sure am. Is there something you wanted? :-)

 **Eunji** : I haven’t found anyone very influential yet for the party, but I have an idea for a few casual invites.

 **MC** : I’ll take anyone. Even vampires. 

**Saeyoung** : What about space vampires?

 **MC** : Especially those.

 **Saeyoung** : That spit green fire.

 **MC** : That’s a must.

 **Saeyoung** : And use laser cats.

 **MC** : As long as the lasers are purple.

_Wow, these two are in a world all of their own. It’s like they’re from outer space. Is this how couples act, just so in sync with each other? Not that I care or anything._

**Eunji** : Now I wish I knew some of those! All I have are Youngmi and Woojin as guests. I bet they’d be honored to represent my former company.

 **MC** : I’d love to reach out to them.

 **Eunji** : I’ll text you their emails. There’s also a group of animators I’ve being working with for this cat pillow project. Their name is ShoujoTreat. 

**MC** : Send their email, too. The more, the merrier.

Saeyoung: Pawesome! I’m hoping to actually attend the party this year.

 **MC** : Yeah, my first party was…interesting to say the least.

 **Eunji** : Maybe this party will cheer Jumin up. After working with him, I can tell that he wants to help others.

_Dang it! That just came out. Curse you, thumbs, you’ve betrayed me._

**Saeyoung** : Woah! How can you tell that? The man’s a marble statue.

 **Eunji** : I just can. He may act cold, but there’s never any malice to his actions.

 **Yoosung*** : That’s sweet. I think that he’s been visiting the chat room more to talk to you, Eunji.

_Really? It’s only been a few times since I’ve started work at C &R. How much did he chat before, then?_

**Eunji** : I know. It’s mostly about work. I’m just an employee. I hope that we’re friends, though.

_There. Implement the friend zone._

**Yoosung*** : Well, I can’t stop you from thinking that. Anyway, I just started playing LOLOL again. They’ve updated so many quests!

 **Saeyoung** : I thought you stopped playing that a year ago after I finished every quest before you?

 **Yoosung*** : Don’t remind me. I’m just suddenly nostalgic. Plus, it’s still fun.

     Eunji watched as the friends bantered on the messenger. Through it she learned that Yoosung used to be an intense gamer, so much so that he neglected his studies during the first years of University. Then that mysterious event, the same one that no one seemed to want to go into detail about, shook Yoosung out of his stupor. He realized that he wanted to become a veterinarian and got straights A’s since. Eunji was proud of him, even though she never had a chance to see his metamorphoses herself. He had worked hard and got somewhere from it. That was how the world should work. A perfect world, that is.

     Then Eunji asked how MC was fairing with her pregnancy. Apparently, all was well. The parents had chosen not to reveal the gender of the child, and instead bought baby materials in purples, yellows, and greens. Saeyoung was constructing an entire nursery and installing the room with the highest technological items a child could have. Eunji remembered how Saeyoung’s odd glasses glinted whenever he had an crazy idea, and she could see the same thing happening now while he described his nursery masterpiece. 

     Suddenly, a call in progress popped up onto her screen. Eunji’s heart did a tiny tango in anticipation. Was it Jumin? She bit her lip hard. The name on the screen was **ZEN**. A bit disappointed and frustrated at said disappointment, Eunji took the call.

     “Hello?”

     “Hey! It’s Zen. This is Eunji, right?”

     “Yup. Eunji at your service.”

     “Great! Listen, babe. I’ve got time off in two days from now. Remember we planned a coffee shop visit?”

     “Hmn? Oh, right!”

     “Don’t tell me you forgot, cutie.”

     “I didn’t. I just, umm, my life has been a little busy lately.” 

_As in diving headfirst into work and RFA business to avoid nasty feelings of doom. Normal, practical stuff._

     “Welly well then, I’m free all that day. You better prepare to see mythical beauty in the flesh.”

     “Haha. I’ll tell the guys on messenger right now. I’ll get the Jaehee and Jumin tomorrow at work.”

     “Jumin? The Trust Fund Kid? No, he won’t come. Guy hasn’t tried to see us in years. Too busy working and making cat projects for Jaehee. Don’t bother asking him.”

     “It’s doesn’t hurt to ask.”

_That’s right. Jumin will invite me in to speak about our cats as usual. We’ll get into a theoretical debate. Then I’ll ask him about the cafe. Everybody will be at the coffee shop. MC, Saeyoung, Yoosung, Saeran, Jaehee, and Zen. There’s nothing to worry about, and it’s not like I’m asking Jumin out on a date. No way._

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

     Eunji chewed at the edge of her right pointer finger’s nail, staring at the folder brimming with information on her current project. Her and Jaehee shared the “coffee room” to do their own paperwork when there was downtime. Eunji sat at the client’s spot while Jaehee was at the head of her desk. That day, the sun was hidden behind muddy clouds, and fat raindrops slammed against the massive windows of C&R. The looming drumming of thunder roared in the distance. Rain always soothed Eunji’s nerves. The slight patter of raindrops upon siding helped her sleep. However today, the rain felt as though it wanted to pierce her skull and melt her brain.

     Jaehee tapped a pen on the desk, also feeling threatened by the consistent onslaught of rain. She was a very attractive woman, her attractiveness even more apparent when she did something cute. Like now for instance. Out of habit, she reached for her steaming mug of coffee, took a deep pull, and smiled in serene bliss from the coffee’s rich taste. That smile lit up the assistant’s entire face, brightening her dark brown hair, glistening the earthy tone of her eyes, and making her presence fill the entire room. Eunji gleaned up and allowed herself a small smile back. Jaehee caught the movement, opened her mouth, and then closed it. As if thinking something through, she at last spoke.

     “I wonder why Mr. Han did not ask for you to cut your hair.”

     “Hmn? Why’s that?” Why in the world would he make her do that? 

     “You see, when I was offered this position, Mr. Han insisted that I cut my hair and use glasses while I work.” Jaehee pointed at her shorn locks and then at the maple frames resting on her nose. Eunji’s eyes widened.

     “What? You mean, you don’t even need glasses?” Jaehee shook her head.

     “No. I have perfect eyesight. 20/20 vision that is.”

     “Then you don’t need to have them on. You should take them off.”

     “If only it were that easy,” Jaehee sighed. 

     “No, really.” Eunji waved her hands to emphasize the point she wanted to make. “You’re going to be the new Director after Jumin takes over the company. That means you don’t have to wear glasses or keep your hair short for an assistant position, right?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

     “Hmn…that does make sense.” Jaehee looked behind her at the “Shrine O’ Zen,” as if asking it for strength.

     “ _I’ll_ be the assistant when the time comes. Come on, Jaehee! Take the glasses off!”

     “I don’t know. I’ve grown so attached to them…” She fiddled with the frames.

     “Don’t make me tell Youngmi. She’ll bother you relentlessly.” Eunji gasped. “Oh, wait. I’ll tell Saeyoung, too. You’ll never hear the end of it! Never ever ever!” Jaehee became pale at the mere thought of both Youngmi and Saeyoung heckling her until at last she gave in. 

     “I see you’ve driven me to a corner.” Jaehee took her glasses off, folded them, and set the item onto the corner of her desk. Without the glasses, Eunji could see that Jaehee had very pretty long and dark eyelashes.

     “Yes! You should keep those off for when you travel to Tokyo with Jumin next month for that big business convention, too!”

     “Perhaps I will. Why wear something that I don’t need?”

     “That’s more like it.”

     “In exchange, you should leave down your hair. Stop hiding it in a bun.” Jaehee pointed at Eunji’s tied back hair. Eunji never liked the way the locks waved and curled, always trying to tame them with hair straighteners and always failing. The bun was the result of a lost battle. Yet she was the one who urged Jaehee out of her comfort zone. Heck, this job had been way out of her own comfort zone! Might as well push the envelope some more.

     “A fair exchange. I’ll do it!” She reached back, toying with the brown hair band until it was untangled from her bun. Her long red hair tumbled down to her shoulders, and her head felt instantly relieved from being released from that tight bun. “Aaah, much better!”

     “Good. Oh! Mr. Han was texting me. Let’s see. He wants to see you at his office.”

     “Huh. He probably just wants to show off Elizabeth the 3rd.”

     “He said to bring what you’ve been working on.”

     “Ah! A review! Oh gosh, umm, wish me luck, Jaehee!” Eunji scrambled up from the chair, almost flipping over it in her haste. She snatched a bag filled with product, shoved the project folders into the same bag, and nearly ran out of Jaehee’s office. The assistant blinked at the spot Eunji had been sitting at only three seconds prior. Whenever Mr. Han called for her, Eunji would bolt to him like her life depended on it. Jaehee sipped at her coffee and continued with her work free from the needless glasses. Maybe, just maybe, she would grow out her hair, too.

     Eunji flew into Jumin’s office, her prize in hand. Jumin glanced up from writing something on his notebook that he quickly covered up. His cool, steel eyes widened when he saw her, and she wondered why. She had her hair down on her first day, after all. Since then, she always wore her reliable bun. But now he was staring at her as if he were drinking in every new angle to her. As if he was clearly seeing her for the first time, and was considering what he saw. She cleared her throat and walked over to his desk. 

     “My team finished the demo of Elizabeth the 3rd. I also did a demo of my own cat, Masako, to make sure that the design could fit other breeds of cat. We are now working on a dog demo, and a horse.” She shuffled around her bag while she was talking, finally plucking out a small scale demo of Elizabeth the 3rd and Masako. “Of course, the final product will be human sized.”

     “Fascinating.” Jumin took the Elizabeth pillow and gently brushed his long fingers over the surface. She was printed rolled onto her back, paws tucked up onto her chest with an expression of pure joy radiating from her feline features. Eunji made sure that the material used for the pillow was top notch, silky and soft. Jumin found the button inside of the pillow that activated the sound clips he provided Eunji to play with. “That sure is her purr.” Jumin actually smiled as the sweet purring drifted from the cat pillow. He pressed the pillow again. “And listen, her I’m hungry meow.” He lifted his face up to Eunji, still beaming, and it was like he stabbed her through her skull, smashed her head in with a bat, and was planning on dumping her into a river. She almost staggered back from the weight of his happiness. 

     “Err, my team did a great job with deadlines! We should have the full product ready and in production lines by Christmas.” She gulped, holding her own Masako pillow to her chest. “Oh! And Jaehee gave me the other cat related projects you’ve come up with since the pillow idea.”

     “She did? Well, do you have a report of your progress?” He arched a finely shaped eyebrow, the smile on his face transforming into an inquisitive smirk. Almost playful. 

_Oh gods, just smite me now._

     “I have a rough design for a cat carrier car seat almost ready. We’re also doing testing on the salmon and tuna flavored whipped cream recipes you’ve penned up.”

     “Splendid. Would you happen to have more of the chilled cherry soup?”

     Well, that was a 180 in topic choice. By now, Eunji was able to take these sudden twists and turns in Jumin’s conversations with grace thanks to their debates. Right now, he was referring to her daily gifting of chilled cherry soup. Jumin insisted that it must be part of his diet, and the soup had to be made by her. She didn’t complain. The soup itself was easy to make. Jumin’s delight in eating the food was just an added bonus.

     “Yes. Actually, I used black cherries last night. I’ve already set aside a bowl in your mini fridge.” She gestured to the out of the way silver stained fridge in the left corner of his office. She had missed it the first time she came to this office.

     “I admire your tenacity. Thank you. One day, I will have to bring you to a cherry farm I know of. They grow some of the most succulent fruits that I am sure would be best used in one of your soups, Eunji.”

     “I’d, I would l-l-love to go,” Eunji stammered. Her mouth went dry, and the familiar moisture at her palms warned her that she would have to leave soon. What she used to believe was just a simple star struck reaction to Jumin Han was actually something completely different. Heart pounding, sweat galore, eyes dilating. She now knew the signs. She just didn’t want to admit to them. 

     “Then I’ll schedule an appoint with Assistant Kang. Furthermore, I was scrolling through the chat and saw that you’ve added a few guests for the party. Thank you. I need to suggest some attendees as well.” He held out his phone as if he was offering proof, and then set the device back down.

     “It was just a few,” Eunji mutter softly.

     “I also noted that you were planning on going to a coffee café tomorrow evening. I would also like to join.”

    “You would?!” That certainly saved her the trouble.

     “Of course. I have been neglecting my friends as of late, and I acknowledge that fact. I’ll make amends tomorrow. And after my trip to Tokyo in a month, I’ll bring everyone a souvenir.”

     “I’m sure being with everyone would be the best present you could give.”

      “I am also happy to spend time with you outside of C&R.”

     “Eh?”

      “Well then, with that settled, I need to return to my work.”

     “O…okay.”

 _B-but you can’t just leave that hanging in the air, Jumin! ARGH! I’ve gotta go before I just explode._

     With all said and done, Eunji dashed out of Jumin’s office, unaware that she did this fairly regularly. She was also unaware that Jumin watched her every movement until she disappeared from his sight. He drummed his fingers against the desk, crossing his right ankle over his left leg. He was experiencing an unsettling and unfamiliar feeling that had struck him down clear from the blue.

     “V, what should I do?” Jumin Han mumbled under his breath. He uncovered the document that he had hid from Eunji, staring at the lines of text and the graph of a heartbeat. Jumin stroked the miniature pillow of Elizabeth the 3rd, his mind full of thoughts strangled by red.


	9. The Not Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized that my silly self forgot to warn everyone that this plot relies heavily on the After Secrets when you play 707's route. Whoops! Anyway, we get into the meat of that timeline here. If you don't want to be spoiled more than you already are, then I suggest turning back and reading said game content! Anywho, please enjoy Eunji having multiple break downs.

_Alright, Eunji. You're here at the café. There's no going back now. And this is **not** a date. It's just a nice gathering with new friends._

Eunji chose to style her hair into a ponytail today, leaving two forelocks to cover either side of her freckled face. She typically never wore skirts, but she had wanted to look pretty. Like a woman and not some copy and paste mold. That would explain the brown soft skirt and tan turtleneck sweater she had shrugged herself into. Eunji bit her pink lower lip and stared into the bustling café with worried hazel eyes.

 _Just go in, you coward!_ She thought in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Youngmi's. Eunji reached out and turned to cool metal doorknob. She was instantly assuaged by the scent of delicious coffee and sumptuous baked goods, almost feeling like those cartoon characters that were smacked over the head with a scent in solid form. Eunji could now understand the hype of this new café. There were comfy couches and recliners set up everywhere. Some tables were blocked by lavish curtains or intricate statues. All patrons were treated to live jazz music, bass and all. The servers would come to each table dressed as butlers, bowing and treating the patrons like royalty.

"Oh hey, there you are! The famous Eunji!" Proclaimed a tall man coming straight for her. He was wearing a fluffy black hoodie with the hood portion pulled completely over his head. On his face sat a pair of fashionable sunglasses, covering angular (she guessed to be) so-brown-they're-red eyes accentuated by perfect silver eyebrows. Clumps of silky silver hair stuck out from the man's hoodie in a way that led Eunji to believe that it was a calculated mess. He had a swimmer's body. Slim, but packed with muscle. No doubt that this was a poor attempt at a disguise. There was no way he could cover up how handsome he was with mere clothes. Eunji lifted a hand and shyly waved at him.

"And the famous Z-" Eunji had meant to say, Zen, but the man held a finger up to his beautifully shaped lips and shook his head. He was silly to think that a hoodie would keep people from recognizing him. Eunji played along. "I mean. My friend! Glad to see you face to face!"

"Come here!" Zen opened his long arms and snatched up Eunji in a fierce hug. "You're even prettier than I imagined!" Her cheeks puffed out from the pressure of his strong arms. Getting hugs from men was completely different from a hug from a woman. Eunji felt completely dwarfed by Zen's solid chest and broad shoulders. His scent, that of beer and cigarettes, turned out be a good combination on him. She cautiously returned his hug, and she could hear his alluring chuckle deep down in his chest. Too bad Zen just wasn't her type. Her's was stoic, calm, collected, and sexy without even knowing it. Someone like, someone like…

A hand suddenly grasped onto Eunji's right shoulder, sending rockets of unknown sensations shuddering down her spine. Zen released her as the hand pulled her back and against the person attached to it. Slightly shorter than Zen, and lithe like one would expect an assassin would be. Eunji gulped. Jumin Han's hand was over he shoulder, radiating a undulating heat that struck her very core. Her back was pressed firmly against his chest and stomach, warming her entire abdomen. What did he think he was doing? They had never ever been this close before. Or wait. No, they had been very close the day they met.

"Good evening, ZEN. _ZEN THE ACTOR_ ," Jumin said with no intonation what-so-ever. He did, however, raise his voice, making sure that everyone in the café heard. Eunji felt Jumin's strong, steady voice rumble through his body and fought the urge to shudder. Jumin sure was making it difficult to ignore her feelings to focus on work.

"Jumin? You're here?" Zen stepped back, his hands out like he thought Jumin was going to tackle him to the floor foaming from the mouth. His eyes widened when the patrons of the café rose from their seats in unison like zombies, turned, and shuffled over to circle him. His mouth turned into a momentary grimace, "Jumin, you!"

"Let us meet the others in the back, Eunji," Jumin whispered in Eunji's ear. Aaand cue the sweat. Eunji decided that the deodorant company must be still afloat solely because of her predicaments.

"What about Zen?"

"He can handle it. He's a professional." Jumin nodded his head towards Zen who was already beaming and bowing towards his fans. He had taken off his hoodie and sunglasses, allowing others to touch him or snap selfies. Despite his protest, Zen seemed to be at home in his sea of admirers. Eunji couldn't help but let out a tiny laugh. Jumin's hand momentarily tightened on her shoulder, and then he let go.

"Wow, everybody came!" Eunji grinned when they arrived at their table and saw all of her new friends (sans Zen) waiting patiently for her and Jumin to approach. MC and Saeyoung sat on a loveseat. MC's legs were over Saeyoung's legs. He was rubbing MC's stomach, which had grown since Eunji last saw her. Jaehee, still bent over her work but without her glasses, sat with a boy (or was he a grown man?) on a divided loveseat. He was practically buzzing with puppy-like excitement. His face was like a puppy's, too, as if he were still growing into the round cheeks and long face. His dark brown hair tipped with blonde was swept to one side of of his face by red clips, letting his so-blue-they're-almost-purple eyes shine bright. He was wearing a T-shirt with the logo "LOLOL" and baggy jeans.

"Hi, Eunji. I'm Yoosung." He waved merrily at Eunji.

"Heya. How are your classes going? Last time I heard, you were passing everything with flying colors."

"He's so different from the Yoosung of two years prior!" Saeyoung cooed. MC tsked and flicked his nose whispering to him something like, 'Leave Yoosung alone.'

"Come on guys. You know I cleaned up after everything happened with Rika." Yoosung pouted.

"Rika?" Eunji mused out loud, letting the name roll from her tongue. The name felt like a ghost. "Huh, I guess RFA does stand for Rika's Fundraising Association. Why haven't I ever thought to ask?"

"The Savior, uh, Rika is a bit of a tough subject to talk about," piped up Saeran. He was sitting on a comfy looking couch crouched forward with his elbows on his knees. Instead of the usual soft colored sweaters she was used to seeing Saeran in, he had switched to a darker attire. A black t-shirt covered by a gray jacket, tight black jeans, ankle high laced up boots, and his fingernails had been painted black. Eunji walked over to him and sat down in the middle of the three-person couch. Saeran blushed and straightened. Huffing, Jumin sat down on the other side of Eunji, sandwiching her between two handsome men. Maybe she didn't really plan out this whole sitting thing.

"She needed help and none of us knew. If only…" Yoosung clenched his fists and glared at the carpeted ground.

"Yoosung…" MC frowned.

Zen was able to free himself from the grasp of his fan club, pulling an extra single seat over to the group and mumbling something about getting Jumin back for this. There was an awkward silence that was only broken when a waiter-butler came over to take their orders and shortly returned with help to deliver their steaming hot drinks. They brewed top notch coffees and teas, and even Jaehee put down her pile of work to simply savor the rich flavor of the vanilla cappuccino she held with both hands. Eunji got an earl gray tea with cream and sugar, something she drank many times a week, but nothing compared to each delicious sip she took of the drink. Slowly, the group began to relax with tea cakes, finger sandwiches, and fancy fruits. Coupled with the silver chandeliers lowering their lights and the hazy yet drowsy atmosphere of the café, the RFA hesitantly smiled.

"It's unfair for Eunji to be associated with the RFA without knowing of its roots," Jumin announced. Just like that, the fragile peace forged by good food shattered. Saeran leaned back into the couch as if he yearned to be eaten alive by the piece of furniture. Yoosung's sweet face soured into that of a pained expression. MC and Saeyoung exchanged equally worried looks, and even Jaehee and Zen frowned. "Allow me to explain what transpired a few years ago." Jumin turned his body to better stare Eunji in the eyes, silver against hazel. She swallowed and set her tea onto the table, giving Jumin her full attention.

"Jumin, are you sure?" MC brushed her long bangs away from her face, and they immediately fell back. Saeyoung took her hand, but was looking at Saeran with concern and not his usual goofy grin. Jumin rolled his shoulders and clasped his hands onto his knees. There was no change in his face, leaving his features as stoic and cold as an arctic wasteland.

"If I allow myself to become more tangled than I already am, then what good would I be as the new CEO of C&R? No, I must tell Eunji. This story must be told from my mouth."

"Alright, but stop if it's too uncomfortable."

"Thank you, MC." Jumin nodded and gathered his strength.

"Uh. Umm…I'll also fill in some blanks," Saeran said, his voice cracking. Saeyoung perked up, clearly surprised by his twin brother's input.

"Saeran? Huh. Tough talk at the coffee shop."

"It's the least I can do. I want Eunji to know so there's no secrets." Saeran crossed his legs and grasped the edge of the couch. "I…especially hate secrets."

"Thank you both. This seems to be a difficult topic. I promise I'll listen with an open mind."

"Very well," Jumin sighed.

From then on, Eunji listened to the story of two years ago, back when V ( the original leader of the RFA) was still alive but barely present. Of how MC was guided by Saeran into the messenger app to plan the RFA parties, only to fall in love with Saeyoung. As MC's life was increasingly put into dangerous situations, it was revealed that the long dead Rika was actually alive-a secret kept by V himself. So many events happened. Betrayal. Painful recoveries. Reunions. Saying good-bye to V. What Jumin and Saeran told Eunji was a story fit for the plot of an extreme game. She had trouble fully believing all what happened actually occurred. The scars the past left on the people encircling her was real enough. Yoosung's bright eyes were blurred by heated tears. Zen had his face covered by both quivering hands. MC constantly rubbed her stomach, grasping onto Saeyoung with her other hand. Her husband was still as a stagnant pond, gaging Saeran as if his twin was going to change then and there into something unstable.

"You are the strongest group of friends I have ever had the privilege of knowing," Eunji said, her heart still beating rapidly from their rollercoaster tale.

"Trust is important. We believe in one another, and honestly, that's how I've been able to cope," said Saeran. He reached over to grab his cold coffee. "And, you're our friend now, too. You're part of our group," he shyly added.

"Yes, I am most pleased with your turnout." Jumin nodded. He seemed mostly recovered from recounting the past. Yet Eunji knew better. He could attempt to cover everything with ice, but he couldn't keep his grief hidden away from his silver eyes. She saw how he made sure not to keep eye contact with anyone. Even her.

"Jeeze, Jumin. Way to sound like a CEO," Zen said, trying to keep the conversation light now.

"I am unable to change the way I speak. Even if I could, I would not. My speech is top notch."

"'Top notch' as in **robotic**?"

"You do understand that robots produce well calculated and immaculate grammar and syntax? You're rebuke only glorifies my speaking methods even further."

"I can't with this guy."

"See? You are unable to produce a fully formed sentence."

"JUMIN HAN!"

"It is not my fault that my speech is on the fleek."

"On…the fleek? Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Most certainly. I believe I have appropriately procured the correct terminology for using the perfect language. My speech is _lit_ and I have just _treated_ you."

"I have to wash out my ears after this."

"If you do, then I can recommend the perfect auditory doctor. I myself have used his services after swimming in my private pool and my ear was unable to unclog."

"I think I liked it better when you didn't show up for get-togethers…"

Just like that, the strained tension grasping the group eroded into a gleeful chatter. Eunji laughed from her spot in-between Jumin and Saeran, enjoying the warmth both of the men emanated. She had to stop her body from innately leaning onto Jumin, closing her eyes, and simply basking in his camaraderie. Apparently, now was the time to talk about everyone's daily life. Of how Yoosung was chosen to intern next semester with a country renown vet, how Jaehee planned on watching the extended cut of Zen's new fantasy film next week, how Zen managed to snag the lead role of a major film, and how Saeran's part time job as a gardener was entertaining every day. Of course, once it was Saeyoung and MC's turn to talk about health updates and future predictions about their baby, it was quite difficult to stop them. Eventually, the night took the members away one by one. Eunji waved goodbye to Jaehee, Yoosung, MC, and Saeyoung. Zen attempted another parting hug, but Jumin blocked him to engage in another verbal battle.

While Jumin and Zen were preoccupied, Saeran grabbed his chance. He took Eunji by the hands and pulled her close to give her his own parting embrace. Eunji was shocked by his brashness, and was barely able to register his slight frame infused with such strength. He nuzzled his face to her ear, still smelling like there was ice cream on his breath, and whispered something only she could hear.

"I think I found something. It's about R-Rika. I'll dig deeper. Please be safe until I do."

"What about Rika?"

"Everything is encrypted. All I can make out is her name. Whatever it is, Jumin is worried. Don't worry. I'll help you both."

"Thank you Saeran."

Saeran pulled away from Eunji, still holding her upper arms. His thumbs rubbed circles on her skin like this was his nervous tick. Eunji offered him a smile and placed a hand on his knee to comfort him. He gasped, turning as pink as cotton candy, and immediately stood up.

"I've gotta catch up with big bro and sis. Come on, Zen. You've bugged Jumin enough." Saeran turned, snatching Zen by the sleeve, and both men left the café now bickering at one another. Eunji, blinking, watched the retreating figures disappear behind the door, pass the café's window, and vanish. What was with Saeran? Was he not feeling good? Amidst her pondering, Jumin sat back down next to her even closer than he was before. All thoughts of the man with cool blue eyes and pale red hair vanished.

"Eunji, now that we are the only ones left, I must speak with you privately."

"What's the matter, Jumin?" Her heart was thudding against her ribs as if the entire café's floor evaporated into steamy coffee mist. Jumin was only drinking his tea, but she was fixated on his bare throat. How pale and elegant. How gracefully he held his posture. Despite her promise to focus on work and push her budding feelings for this man to the corner, she wondered what he thought of her. Was he also thinking of pressing his lips to hers? Of grasping the small of her back to pull her body close to his?

_Aaand I'm flushing. Great. What am I? A girl from one of those romance novels ready to jump her love interest? Jeeze, next my face with be featured on a harlequin romance. Note to self: Never let Youngmi or Woojin know._

"As you already know, on Friday Assistant Kang and myself are going to a contract signing to acquire property." He quirked a dark eye brown at her when he caught her intent gaze. She cleared her throat and waved over a the best timed butler-server to order another tea.

"Yes. I'll be staying behind to finish that one project that removes cat acne from their chins without hurting them."

"You will need to put that particular project on hold, although it does pain me to say as much."

"What a-are you suggesting?"

_Stop thinking about jumping him. He's talking about work. Work is not sexy. Repeat again. **Work is not sexy.**_

"You will accompany us. I am planning on allowing Assistant Kang full responsibility in building a relationship with the contractor. For the day, she will be the Director. As such, you will be her assistant. This will be a trial of sorts." As he talked, Jumin slowly brushed his pointer finger across his lower lip as if in deep thought. As such, Eunji answered with more force than necessary.

"Then consider me ready!"

"Good. I appreciate such enthusiasm."

"I assumed I was staying at C&R, so I never looked up the location of where you two were staying. My I ask where it is?"

"Certainly. We are going to a location near the rural area of Busan. The hotel's owner is, hmn…Cheryl. That's right." Eunji choked on her newly delivered tea, some of the liquid soaring out of her nostrils. She flailed for a second until she was able to locate her napkin and dab at her face. She then sipped at her extra water to sooth her scratched throat. Jumin patted her back, truly concerned for her sudden actions. "What's the matter? Did I say something uncouth?"

"No, it's just…this hotel might be my mother's." And if it is, Mom apparently forgot to tell me something vital during our last call!

"Why would you think that?"

"Because my mother owns a hotel, and her name is also Cheryl."

"Excellent. Then you already have inside knowledge of the property." Jumin continued to pat her back, still oblivious to the churning turmoil roiling over her like sludge. She swallowed and nodded.

"Yes…boy do I ever know the layout."


	10. The Drive

**Jaehee** : I have everything ready for our meeting tomorrow evening, Mr. Han.

 **Jumin** : Good.

 **Jaehee** : Umm, Mr. Han?

 **Jumin** : Yes?

 **Jaehee** : Eunji's presence at her mother's hotel isn't really necessary. There are still a few cat projects she was going to close on today.

 **Jumin** : This meeting is completely necessary, Assistant Kang. I want to see for myself her work ethic when under pressure.

 **Jaehee** : Does…does this have anything to do with the Chairman?

 **Jumin** : I do admit, that does play a minor part in my decision. My chest is pained for some odd reason whenever I think of my father turning his thoughts upon her.

 **Jaehee** : Mr. Han, I don't believe they've even met yet.

 **Jumin** : I understand. This is merely from a business point of view. If my father sets his sights onto Eunji while we are both away, then the company will loose a perfect future Assistant. That is all.

 **Jaehee** : If you say so, Mr. Han.

 **Jumin** : I do.

 **Jumin** : Which reminds me, Assistant Kang.

 **Jaehee** : Yes?

 **Jumin** : I need you to go ahead before us for tomorrow morning. There's some paperwork I've set up for you that must be finished beforehand.

 **Jaehee** : And here I thought I'd get a real breakfast…

 **Jumin** : What do you mean?

 **Jaehee** : Nothing.

"Come on, Masako. You miss Mom, right?" Eunji fiddled with the padded harness straps she was attempting to wrap around the bulk of black fur that was her orange eyed cat. The woman was glad that her mom's hotel was animal friendly. That way, she wouldn't have to leave poor Masako in the hands of her overly eager friend, Woojin.

"Mreow!" Masako huffed. She wiggled around in the near foreign attire, shaking her fluffy large paws with disdain. Her long, sleek whiskers trembled from her barely contained feline outrage. Eunji attempted to quell her cat's temper by tempting her with a few Masako-approved treats. The cat daintily sniffed at the morsels her owner laid out before her, pretending to be uninterested. Eunji smacked her face, and turned around. Thinking that her owner was no longer paying attention, the cat snapped up the treats with vigor, immediately returning to her sullen state when Eunji turned back around. At least she was somewhat sated.

"I know you don't like the harness, but you hate cars even more. This is for my peace of mind. Anyway, you love Mom, remember? We'll be home home for the weekend." She pulled at her rolling suitcase and shouldered the denim backpack. Once she checked that everything that needed to be turned off was off, she patted her cat's warm head. "Plus, you'll get to meet Jumin's cat, too. Her name is Elizabeth the 3rd. I think your personalities will match."

"Puurrr," Masako reluctantly admitted. The cat swished her tail, now attempting to act as though she did not have a temper tantrum about a mere harness. Oh no. Masako _owned_ the harness now.

"I'm glad you're so chill." Not only was Eunji going to stay at her mother's hotel, but her boss/love interest will be there, too. He'll get to see what she saw for most of her childhood. He'd walk the same halls, eat the food she ate daily, and be the judge of a piece of her life she was scared to return to. The hotel was childhood and love and anguish. Not to mention, her mother may try to push the ownership of the hotel onto her again. Wasn't it enough that Eunji paid for half of the mortgage? The least her mom could have done was warn her about the Director of C&R visiting.

There was nothing she could do now. Woojin had already been texted to keep an eye on her apartment while she was absent for the weekend. She was already packed with Masako already making the harness into some sort of fashion item as she waited for Driver Kim to pick her up. The 'alreadys' were so squeezed up and sealed tight that there was no way she could undo them. Also, Eunji did not own a car, instead taking taxis for long distance fares. Once Jumin heard of her situation, there would be no going back. He insisted upon taking her with him. That meant being in the same vehicle with the very man she was trying to bat away her feelings for. She could feel her resolve waning day by day like he was some sort of addiction she couldn't kick. Anyway, there was no way he'd feel the same. Jumin planned and strategized, always letting his annoyance show when his father's love interests interfered with C&R. Jumin was a businessman to the bone, and was probably not even interested in starting a relationship yet.

_Not starting one yet. I could wait. Right?_

"At least Jaehee will be in the limo with us to break any tension." Eunji tapped Masako on her her cute black nose. "I always do love watching her and Jumin banter."

Five minutes later, Eunji was loaded up and into Jumin's limo, staring at him face to face, without the certain presence of a Miss Jaehee Kang.

_My foot really likes to insert itself into my mouth. Just my luck, **AGAIN**. Jaehee left ahead of time to start on the paperwork. I should have distracted her with a Zen musical. Or free tickets to his next film. Heck, I could have molded a Zen statue so she could put it in her Zen shrine at the coffee-den._

"Erm, so this is Elizabeth the 3rd? She is very beautiful." Eunji inclined her head at the feline curled onto Jumin lap. Her little white paws were tucked in under her chin, her mouth pink from cuddling with her owner, and finely groomed tail curled around her body. Jumin stroked behind her ears, producing a hearty rumble from Elizabeth the 3rd's little form.

"Naturally so. She is of nobility. That is the same as your feline, I assume?" Jumin reached out with delicate fingers, and as if she were mesmerized by the action alone, Masako leapt over to Jumin's spot to brush her face against his knuckles. Jumin grinned and tickled under the cat's chin. "Masako is the name of a Japanese Empress I believe." If Eunji had ears like a cat's, they would have perked up. Usually no one caught onto her cat's namesake.

"Yes! You're right! My little Masako is a serene lady on the outside, but will defend what she believes in to the death. Just like the human Masako."

"I see that you are well learned in history. In Japanese history, at least."

"Oh, I love history in general, but Japan will always have a special place in my heart." Masako plopped down at Jumin's knee and snuggled next to him. Elizabeth the 3rd poked her head up, sniffed at the black cat's fur, and huffed. Would there be a fight over who was going to lay down on Jumin? Eunji could barely believe it when the white cat instead jumped from Jumin's lap, padded over to her, and settled down on her. The cat continued her purring and was soon fast asleep. Jumin and Eunji in tandem looked at their cats, and then at each other, both slightly shocked. They then exchanged a cat-owner's glee. After all, earning a cat's trust was tricky business, and both were given the pleasure of being accepted by the felines.

Some time passed, letting Eunji believe that she was blowing everything out of proportion. Spending time alone with Jumin felt, well, right. The shared silence was interrupted when Jumin finished typing something in his phone and suddenly directed his molten silver gaze towards her.

"Tell me, how did you become entangled in the big city? When Saeyoung gave me your background check back when you stole my phone, I saw that you graduated with a bachelor and master's degree in English. There were many other options for you to choose from other than becoming an office assistant."

"I didn't steal..." Eunji sighed. Jumin's joke again. "Ehem. Well." She tried again. Talking about her past was a painful topic, let alone saying it loud to Jumin Han. In fact, she realized, she never even fully told Youngmi and Woojin. But for some reason she couldn't really pinpoint, she felt compelled to let Jumin know. She clenched her fists, then relaxed her fingers on-top of Elizabeth the 3rd's silky back. "I wanted to teach English in Japan. When I was attending University for my bachelor's degree, my father lost his battle with lung cancer, leaving the hotel to my mother." She bit her lip, looking down. "My father wanted me to continue with my studies, so even when my mother tried to train me for hotel life, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. I left Busan to pursue my dream."

"That still does not explain why I found you taking calls and not in Japan teaching."

"I never had enough money to go. I helped pay for Dad's medical bills, and in order to help with Mom's business, I funnel half of my paycheck to her."

"Hmn…"

"I want to climb that business ladder, earn enough money to support my mom, AND at last go to Japan." Eunji found herself stroking Elizabeth the 3rd in time to her rapidly beating heart. She was unintentionally becoming more and more enthused about her life's goal. More so than she ever had been before her father passed away. She was surprised that everything, all of her hurt and dreams, kind of just tumbled out. Was this feeling described as being relieved? Eunji permitted herself a delicate grin. "Whew. There."

"Family is indeed important. I am glad to see that your values are admirable." Jumin brought a finger up to his lips as if he was deep in thought. He narrowed his silver eyes at the limo's flooring, pressing his lips into a thin line. He then cautiously opened his mouth, "But…" And then zipped his mouth shut again. Closing his eyes and shaking his head as if he was inwardly berating himself, he said, "It was nothing. Nevermind."

"Alright." Eunji watched as Jumin unlocked his phone, looked over a document, and set the device back into his pocket.

"I am unsure as to why, but I am very pleased to be spending time with you this weekend at your mother's hotel. I am unaware of how to describe this feeling properly." Jumin looked up and pinned Eunji down with his strong gaze. She licked her lips, not daring to let her mind get carried away. She was glad that she was temporarily struck down as a mute, but Jumin continued as if he didn't say anything at all. "Your mother's hotel is a recreation of a Japanese ryokan, yes?"

 _Thank God. Something neutral_. Eunji ran a nervous hand along her red hair, and was unnervingly aware of Jumin's complete focus on that one action alone.

"Yes. You see, my grandfather came from Japan hoping to start fresh in a completely new country. He married my grandmother, built the hotel with his own two hands, and then had my father." She scratched under Elizabeth the 3rd's chin to occupy her jittering hands. "My father took the hotel under his wing after my grandfather died." Eunji could barely recall her grandfather except for the tiny star candies he would sometimes sneak to her and his bright, wrinkled smile. "My mom came from America. She's 3/4ths Irish, actually. She divorced from her previous husband, and when she asked her two kids if they wanted to come with her to South Korea, they wanted to stay in the States to be with their friends. That's reasonable enough."

"Hmn, this explains why you desire to teach English in Japan." There he went again. His silver eyes were trapping her like a spider winding its prey into a sticky web. With each rotation of the web, she was brought even closer to him. Tug, tug, tug. Anymore tugs, and she'd end up shamelessly on his lap! "So, you have half-siblings?"

"Two older brothers! One is ten years older and the other is twelve years older. Kyle and Taylor respectively. They visit here once a year."

"I am an only child myself, although I suppose you felt like one while growing up in your situation."

"I had a few close friends that kept me company. What about you?"

"My…only friend." Jumin removed his heated stare, relocating his now sober attentions over to the passing scenery beyond the limo's window. They had steadily moved further away from the bustle of dark buildings and businesses, and were diving into the glowing sea of golden farmlands. Eunji watched as the openness Jumin previously displayed was clamped shut like the clicking of a coin purse.

Her own reaction to Jumin's apparent pain startled her. She wanted to jump up and hold him close. To run her hand over his soft, midnight hair and assure him all would be well again. Her fingers and entire being itched as if thousands of mosquitoes had plunged their needle appendages into her exposed flesh. She shuddered.

"Jihyun, or V as you would better know him as." Jumin still did not look at her. He grasped at Masako's paws, feeling her toe beans. She let him, tolerant as ever. "We were friends since preschool, and I had believed then that I only needed one friend if that one friend was V. We were allowed to be ourselves with one another."

"So, you two were like family? Brothers?"

"We grew up near each other, went to the same school, argued, debated, and spilled our thoughts to one another. Yes, I suppose our relationship was akin to familial ties. I believed it was even more than that at times." Jumin let out a dry, used chuckle. The sound scared her. He sounded like he had given up not only on himself, but on others as well. "But then V changed so drastically, I felt as though if I reached out to him, he would have disappeared in a whisper of smoke. He ran from me when he should have understood that I was a shoulder to lean on. That's what friends are for, correct? That was what he, the RFA, Rika, that was what they told me. And yet V and Rika both…"

"Jumin…"

"As opposed to what the others may tell you, I am not a robot able to input my guidance flawlessly. I only remove all emotion when making an important decision to ensure the best result. That does not mean I'm…" Jumin's usual calm and calculated demeanor just ever so slightly, cracked. For a moment, Eunji could witness all of the hurt, pain, frustration, and loss Jumin was experiencing right then and there. This man was lonely. Hi best friends, V and Rika, weren't the people he thought they were. Even so, he utterly missed them. A chill crashed down Eunji, like a malignant ghost had trailed its finger down her spine.

"Jumin, I'm sure they didn't leave you because they wanted to." He shifted, but still refused to lift his head. "From what I understood, they were hurt and didn't know how to accept themselves because of their pain. They aren't gone because of you." She moistened her lips, her pulse singing a full out opera. "I wouldn't leave you. **I** won't leave you. You're…my precious friend."

"You—" He started, his entire body convulsing like a lightning bolt had shot down from nowhere and straight into his bones. Elizabeth the 3rd perked up. She rubbed a paw against her cheek and then leapt from Eunji, padding over to Jumin. Masako, not really eager on sharing, left Jumin to rejoin Eunji. During the cat exchange, Jumin and Eunji shared a shocked, tentative connection. As if they were unsure on whether to touch or even open themselves to one another, and yet they both inwardly allowed themselves show each other their hearts for the tiniest of seconds.

"We've arrived, sir," came the voice from the driver's seat. While they were both deciding on whether or not to say something, the widow that separated the driver from the passengers had already been opened. Jumin was the first to recover. He rolled his shoulders, cleared his throat, and replied.

"Good. Smooth driving as usual, Driver Kim."

"Thank you, Mr. Han. Always a pleasure," said the profile of the older driver.

"Well then." Jumin opened the limo's cold metal door, holstered Elizabeth the 3rd into his secure grip, and left the vehicle. He almost took the air with him. Eunji let out a shaky, uneven breath.

"Let's go, Masako," she whispered. Before she could follow Jumin out, she heard someone from the front seat.

"Miss, before you go."

"Oh, yes, Driver Kim?" "I know it is not my place to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but listen to your last topic of discussion. That was the first time I've heard Mr. Han open up in a long time. I was opposed to interrupting, but I know that Mr. Han always desires a prompt arrival. Please, keep speaking with him. I can count his smiles in the past two years on one hand. With you, I am unable to count all of his smiles. Whether he is aware of this himself is another matter…" The older gentleman frowned, pulling down his laugh-line wrinkles. His dark brown irises shimmered up at her as if he were on the verge of tears. This cute old man with gray, thinning hair and dressed in a gentle driver's uniform was going to start crying on her! She wanted to hug him!

"Thank you, Driver Kim. I…to be honest, I have no clue what I'm doing."

"Don't think on it too much, dear. Just be young and fresh and alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #when you realize your love for Jumin Han will probably be worth a novel's length- O_O


	11. The Hotel: Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know: I got this idea because I also received a Jumin Han body pillow for my birthday?

When Eunji arrived at the front steps of the familiar wooden and stone structure of her childhood, she saw that Jaehee was already waiting for them on the first two steps of the wrap around porch. She still was not wearing her glasses, and it seemed as though she was attempting to let her flowing brown hair grow out. There was a silver barrette clipped to the left side of her head, which made her look pretty cute, just like Yoosung. Although, Eunji wouldn't say the sentiment out loud. She had a feeling Jaehee would knock her over the head with a file folder of documents, and finish her off with a body toss. Jumin and Elizabeth the 3rd were at Jaehee's side in a blink. Jaehee warily eyed the feline and the patch of fur radiating from the animal' body, and then nodded at her boss.

"I was able to come here earlier than I thought," Jaehee explained. She held up her briefcase as if offering proof. "I've finished with the paperwork you assigned, and scheduled the dinner at Tokyo for the business convention. All should be ready for the next couple of months."

"I see, Assistant Kang. Promptness is always an excellent trait."

"As you keep telling me…" The Assistant sighed, more than a little green around the gills. Eunji knew that a bit of her mother's cooking would cheer Jaehee right up, clearing that green right off. True, this hotel was a paradox of joy and pain, but that didn't mean that her mother's food couldn't do its job of welcoming a guest. Now, would that food settle her nerves? She glanced at Jumin, catching him staring at her. His eyes widened as he palmed the pants pocket with his phone. As if an idea popped into his head, he spoke.

"Eunji, did you see that Yoosung posted a picture of the cat he is working with on the messenger?" Jumin fully turned, nearly punching her in the gut with his innocent we-sure-didn't-have-a-moment-and-everything-is-now-normal expression. He was looking at her like that first day they collided. Like she was a trivial bore to eventually get rid of. What had she don wrong? If she were an anime character, she would have turned into one of those white blobs prostrate on the floor with a spotlight searing on top of her head.

"N-no, I didn't see that picture."

"The cat was a wonderful specimen. I believe the breed is a traditional Siamese. He had eyes almost as blue as my Elizabeth the 3rd. Not as vivid, but I commend him for his effort."

"Poor Zen. He said that the picture put him into a sneezing fit," Jaehee bemoaned. She dabbed at some fake tears with a handkerchief.

"If he doesn't like the picture, then he shouldn't look at it. For example, I do not like seeing Zen's vulgar, half-naked posters, and yet I am still subject to the inhumanity brought down upon my sight. In the given circumstance, I do not ogle at the photograph as Zen is apparently prone to do. I simply scroll away from the picture and expunge the image from my head. Easily fixed and less hassle, I say."

While Jumin and Jaehee debated on the finer details of what to share and what not to share not only on the messenger, but on the internet, Eunji snuck around the pair to ring on the hotel's doorbell for the need to at least do something other than think circles around what had happened in the limo to produce such unsavory results. It felt odd to be at her mother's hotel as a guest from C&R rather than a daughter visiting her mother. It had been a year since she came over.

Everything was blessedly the same as she remembered. The hotel was painted a light tan to contrast the dark, slanted shingles of its triangular roof. There was hand crafted, intricate wood carvings along the wood paneling underneath the roof of tigers, dragons, and Japanese legends all done by her grandfather and father. Framed lanterns hung low on either side of the sliding doors, emitting a soft, welcoming glow. Her grandfather had planted purple wisteria trees along the perimeter of the hotel instead of the traditional cherry bloom sakuras, making the surrounding area shine lavender. Her favorite color. The atmosphere was grand, almost brim to bursting with magic. The constricting hand gripping her throat somewhat eased from the hotel's familiarity.

Eunji was bombarded with an array of conflicting emotions when her mother opened the wooden entrance door to answer the bell. Her mom was as splendid as ever. She always embraced her role as the hotel's caretaker to the fullest. She was taller than Eunji by a few centimeters, watched the world from green eyes as clear as gemstones, possessed the perfect pair of rosebud lips, and pulled her hip length curly copper hair up into a traditional bun. Cheryl wore an elegant light green kimono embroidered with delicate cherry blossom petals, contrasting with her light skin. Although her face was slightly lined with age, Cheryl was gorgeous. And she stuck out like a sore thumb! Her father had suited the ryokan look much better than her mother, that was for sure.

"Hi Mom," Eunji smiled.

"Oh goodness, please do come in!" Her mother indicated with both hands for the trio to come inside with an eagerness that Eunji hadn't seen in her mother for a while. Cheryl's voice was warm and sumptuous like amber syrup. "I am so happy to welcome you and your bosses, honey." Cheryl placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder, sending the familiar warmth she recalled from childhood through the layers of her clothes and into her skin. Jaehee and Jumin took the opportunity to say their thanks and file into the interior of the ryokan with Cheryl and Eunji following on their heels. Cheryl shut the wooden doors and spun on her heel to appraise her only daughter.

"Eunji, let me get a look at you!" She passed a delicate hand over her daughter's wavy hair and touched the tip of her chin with a finger. Beaming with maternal pride, she saw the black cat at the end of Eunji's leash. The older woman gushed. "Masako, prim as ever, aren't you?" The woman picked up the cat and spun the feline around. Masako resigned herself to her doomed fate of over enthused love from Eunji's mother.

Eunji saw Jumin cautiously peer behind at Cheryl's display, and could feel the very blood in her veins turn to sharp shards of ice. He and Jaehee were still talking about the ethics of internet confidentiality, but the conversation was drawing to a close.

"Mom, not in front of…" Eunji bumped her mother's shoulder with her own and inclined her head towards Jumin and Jaehee. A silent plea to save the get-together cuddles for later that night. Cheryl set down Masako, who in turn dashed behind Eunji's legs. The older woman looked from Eunji to Jumin to Eunji once more and grinned a devious smirk.

"Ooh, I see. You fancy Mr. Jumin Han, don't you?"

"Eek, Mom! Keep your voice down!" Eunji whisper-shouted. Her mom's voice wasn't that loud to begin with, but she couldn't be sure whether anyone else heard that or not. Anyway, how in the world did her mom figure out she like-liked Jumin just like that? Was it some sort of Mom sense? Either way, the sweat was coming in by the pint.

"I have fulfilled my motherly duty of embarrassing my daughter. I feel like my life is complete." Cheryl did a little bow, her still bright copper hair shinning from the overhead lanterns.

"Complete your life further inside the hotel, okay? Maybe properly greet the guests?"

"You know you missed me, sweetie pie." Cheryl tugged on her daughter's ear.

"Mooom."

Cheryl chuckled, and then turned. From the very second she removed her sight from her daughter, everything about her demeanor morphed from doting mother, to a strong and competent hotel manager. Her back straight, posture poised, and eyes downcast, she had completely slipped back into her designated role. Taking careful, even steps, she crossed over to the first step of the foundation. Jaehee and Jumin had already removed their shoes and wore their house slippers. Eunji hurriedly tugged off her own shoes as she watched her mother's masterpiece performance.

"Ahem, well then. Mr. Jumin, Miss Jaehee, and Miss Eunji, I am proud to welcome you as your hostess tonight." She bowed, and her three guests respectfully bowed back. Eunji had finally trotted up to the group, saddling up next to Jaehee. Masako tried her best to cuddle next to Jumin' leg. "Seeing as the negotiations are tomorrow, here at Akatsuki Ryokan, we would like to present to you the best hotel experience. We will provide a decadent dinner, followed by a tour of our ryokan and the manmade hot spring baths in the back. You'll be assigned lavish rooms and provided with the best after dinner treats." As if on cue, an assistant came out from the kitchen hallway to be an escort for the guests. She wasn't someone Eunji knew from before. Yellow kimono, yellow hair, and green eyes. She was a vision. The woman must be a new hire. "Seahee here will take you to your rooms. Eunji, you'll be in your former dwellings."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Cheryl," Jumin inclined his head at the hostess. Eunji's mom actually blushed from the attention.

"Oooh, you flatter me young man." Cheryl covered her mouth, swiping at the air with playfulness. She leaned over to her daughter and pretend whispered aloud, "I see why you like him, hun."

"Mom!" Eunji pretend whispered back from the corner of her mouth."

"Follow me Sir. Miss." Seahee demurely padded over to make sure that the guests assigned to her located their rooms without difficulty. Jaehee and Jumin followed on the girl's heels. Eunji was far too busy scolding her mother to see Jumin's gaze appraising Eunji's every movement, the curve of her mouth, the stature she held when compared to speaking to her mother rather to himself. She had ignited something he was unable to dissect, and so he was unable to properly analyze the feeling with the time given to him. Had she truly meant what she said back in the limo? That she would stay by him, through thick and thin? Was he merely hallucinating? There was that 0.000001 percent possibility of hallucination. In either case, he was truly grateful to be left alone in a room with Elizabeth the 3rd to reflect on that peculiar tingling bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"Right, honey, your little friend Youngmi sent something through the express mail. The dear even called me to make sure that I received the packages." Cheryl hooked her arm around her daughter's, guiding the young woman and Masako on her harness over to the bustling kitchens by using the wrap around porch's pathway. Eunji breathed in the earthy scent of steamy water, soil, and flowery vegetation of the outside. From her talks with Saeran on the messenger, she guessed that he would love it here. Maybe she could send a few pictures to him. She did just that, snapping a few pictures of the fluffy blue hydrangeas, and quickly submitting the content onto the messenger. When the women turned into the kitchen, Eunji finally let her mother's words permeate her thoughts.

"Packages through the express? What in the world is she thinking spending all that cash when she could have come over to my apartment?" Eunji thought back to the list of items she needed for this weekend's stay. She already had her demo cat pillows and C&R merchandise, putting most of her staying over gear in the back of Driver Kim's limo. So what in the world could be so urgent that her friend would pay the equivalent of $100 US dollars just so Eunji could receive a package?

"She's your friend, sweetie pie. I don't pretend to understand her intentions," Cheryl sighed. Her mother padded over to a pantry that doubled as storage and a mailroom for patrons. As the older woman passed by a cook so into his work his eyes were practically burning white, she patted the cook's shoulder in an attempt to tell him to keep up the good work. The cook barely said a thank you, muttering something about needing to make Mr. Han's dinner a masterpiece. Cheryl huffed and returned to the pantry, where she pulled out a long, wide tube about four feet in length.

"Here we are, honey. I have to get our meal ready, so I should see you in time for dinner." She handed the slightly heavy tube over to Eunji. "Your old hakama is here for you to get changed into straight away. We saved it right in the kitchen to remember you by."

"Mom, I'm not dead," Eunji sighed. She grabbed the item of clothing that really was hung up in the pantry like some sort of shrine to Eunji. The hakama was a beige that complimented her light skin and dark red hair. Cheryl left the kitchen with a purring Masako, and Eunji decided to skip going to her old bedroom to slip the hakama on at the nearest bathroom. Like always, Eunji marveled at the interior of the hotel. When she was little, she would make up stories about the intricate wooden carvings and hand painted portraits. She'd be a princess who wielded the mightiest of swords and magic, defeating evil demons and saving young lords in the process. Eunji propped up the mail tube next to the bathroom's door when she arrived, feeling the pang of nostalgia like it was a short sword driven into her rib cage. If it wasn't enough to try and deal with the feelings this hotel stabbed into her, she also had to sort out how deeply her affections for Jumin Han ran. She felt as though she were balancing on a road's curb, only if she fell, she'd plummet into a bottomless hole instead of pavement. Eunji was on the verge of something. She knew she loved Jumin Han, but now she understood that she was afraid of telling him. She was scared that he'd shut that precious line of communication she'd grown so fond of. Their talks about cats and politics and their families—she'd miss everything. If he left her now…

Eunji exited the bathroom once she replaced her business suit with her hakama, letting her long hair fall over her right shoulder. She'd take her clothes to her bedroom soon enough. First, she had to find out what was so urgent about this express mail Youngmi sent. Carefully bending over to reclaim the tube, she tore off the tape sealing the top. There was a tiny note on top that read _have fun_. Inside was something large, soft and fluffy. Did Youngmi really send a dog? No, it couldn't be. Eunji pulled at the item, no, _items_ inside. Two four feet long body pillows. A familiar, nauseous feeling clawed at her insides. Please, no. Please, please, please.

**Youngmi!**

That woman actually did it. Dear lord, what had Eunji done wrong to encourage the wrath of Youngmi? Better yet, what had she done _right_? Printed upon the body pillows were two hand drawn, perfectly crafted images. One of Jumin Han holding a little stuffed plushie of Eunji. The other was of Eunji holding a stuffed plushie of Jumin. They were both scantily dressed in their undergarments captured with bedroom eyes, biting their lips as they looked at the stuffed versions of themselves in their arms. The entire scene was achingly erotic despite being prints on a pillow. Eunji would have been impressed by the hefty detail put into such pieces if it weren't for the fact that there was no way she could get to her room in the back of the hotel _and_ get past everyone undetected. Eunji was going to find who Youngmi commissioned for the work and, and, well. Congratulate them for their fantastic artwork. Then she was going to get Youngmi back for this. ALL of this. Eunji wiped away a droplet of sweat cutting down her forehead. Now wasn't the time to panic. She had to remain composed!

"Crap. Shoot. Shoot, crap!" Eunji mumbled. Yes, she was calm and collected alright. Light footsteps drifted across the wooden floor, only giving Eunji a second to react. In her haste for escape, the pillows flung from her sweaty hands. They flew gracefully in the air, twirling around one another, Jumin and then Eunji and then Jumin, until they landed together in front of the emerging guest with a soft _plop_.

"What's the matter, Eunji? We are waiting for you at the dinner table." Jaehee stood a yard away from the utterly embarrassed Eunji. She was dressed in a hakama of light orange, more goldenrod than anything, and had lightly brushed some dark brown makeup on. The assistant was very comfortable in the new clothing provided for her, and in the chaos of Eunji's mind, she remembered that Jaehee did Judo. Then, everything about the current situation came careening back into her skull, leaving a buzzing noise echoing behind her ears. Maybe, just maybe Jaehee wouldn't look down. Everything could be avoided if Jaehee just did not look down. Ah, there we go. There was no way Jaehee could look down from that angle. Jaehee looked down. Jaehee saw everything. "Oh. I see. I'll leave you to it, then." The woman turned on her heel, ready to leave.

"Wait, Jaehee, come back! Pleeaase!" Eunji nearly jumped onto the assistant, almost knocking the poor woman over. Luckily, Jaehee's stance was rock solid, and she took the extra weight with ease.

"Alright. I'm willing to, err, listen." Jaehee went to adjust her glasses, only to realize that they were no longer on the bridge of her nose. It would seem that old habits died hard. Eunji picked up the pillows and told her how she came to be in possession of the ridiculous merchandise. "And that's what happened. It's all Youngmi's fault! I need to get this to my room without Jumin seeing them or else...GAH! I don't know what he'd think at this point. Please help me, Jaehee!"

"I'll help." Jaehee tapped her chin, lapsing into her classic expression of being in deep thought. She sniffed the air. "First we must eat dinner. We can't get to your room without being noticed at the dinner table. From what I saw of the hotel plans, the wrap around porch reaches only halfway around the building's perimeter, and meet with the built in hot springs. It would also be poor form to skip the meal altogether to ninja your pillows to safety. Personally, I would be highly agitated if I could not at least have a proper dinner today." Eunji emphatically nodded, clutching the pillows close to her chest. Jaehee sighed, and then smiled mischievously. "Then, I shall provide a distraction after dinner. As such, you may sneak around said distracted Mr. Han."

"You're my savior, Jaehee!" Eunji was so grateful that she nearly burst into tears.

"Say that when we've successfully moved those pillows."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of the readers so far! For a while, I didn't know where the plot was going and let the characters have fun! Now they have a solid route. I appreciate all of your help in getting them closer to their happy ending! Remember, eat three healthy meals a day, and keep a good sleep schedule.


	12. The Hotel: Part Two

Jumin was already in the dinning room sitting straight backed at his designated spot, his legs folded underneath his body, and hands delicately placed upon his knees. The businessman wore his own royal purple hakama that complimented his slim yet cut figure. He was admiring the scale of detail displayed in the vast architecture around him. The dinning room was indeed grand with multiple hanging lanterns from the ceiling lighting the massive effort put into building the ryokan. Yes, there were the obvious glossy carvings glittering along the edges of the ceiling and walls, but there was also the gorgeous sliding doors. They were painted by hand detailing the birth of the Japanese gods and goddesses, their less noble demons, and the natural spirits of the earth. Jumin pondered whose hands crafted such awe inspiring works. He could request said artist to paint his office. Maybe he could also use some of the rice paper screens as decorations.

The air was thick with the scent of sumptuous food. Jumin drummed his fingers along the smooth square table before him, feeling as though he was sinking further into the soft mat he was sitting on. He needed to focus on dinner, or at least on the deal for tomorrow. If he allowed his mind to wander into the territory that belonged to Eunji, there was no telling what he might do. He already knew that he had a tendency to linger too long on something he fancied. Take for instance, Elizabeth the 3rd. When his instinct to protect something flared, there was no going back. Although his scattered thoughts were attempting to go back to that moment in the limo where Eunji, her face lit from within like the light of an angel was bursting from her skin, told him she wouldn't leave—he had to refrain from going any further. Now was not the time for feelings he couldn't understand. He couldn't afford to let his father down in assuming the position of the CEO of C&R.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." The three women, Assistant Kang, Mrs. Cheryl, and Eunji, filed into the dinning room. Cheryl held the large, black cat Masako in her arms, setting the feline down next to Elizabeth the 3rd who was busy eating her specific meal. Masako found her own plate of food and began to eat. However, Jumin was not watching the cats. He was focused on Eunji. She was…pretty. Very pretty. Her light brown hakama covered most of her milky skin, but also darkened the freckles on the bridge of her nose, ears, and neck. Her flashing hazel eyes flecked with emeralds and golden light pierced right into him, and if possible, she paled another shade lighter. His fingers twitched with the unfamiliar feeling of needing to touch her glossy, red hair. To braid the sides into a loose, half ponytail. The once friendly room around him seemed to shrink. His body was turning on him. God, it was hot in here.

The waitstaff chose that moment to line along the wall, all laden with trays of steaming food. A bowl of miso soup and white rice was placed before Jumin, making his mouth water. There was a tiny saucer of the meal's starter sweet rice wine that a server set down next to his hand that he wanted to down in one gulp. His life long ability to maintain his patience was frighteningly faltering. More food arrived. Artfully designed bite sized pieces of food decorated long black plates; fish, rice, crackers, pickles, and morsels wrapped in seaweed begged to be eaten. In the middle of the table was the main meal; sashimi of both white and red fish covered a bed of shredded radish, boiled and grilled meats and vegetables sat simmering in pools of sweet and salty sauces, and deep fried seafood with salty dipping sauce. Jumin wasn't sure if he would be able to save room for the sweet seasonal fruit served on top of a perfect spherical scoop of sorbet for dessert.

"Thank for the meal," the group echoed around the table. Jumin deftly used his chopsticks, starting for the sashimi. He observed Eunji as he ate. She was white. So very white. The woman was shaking as she held a piece of meat to her trembling lips. Those dark, soft lips. Her sharp wit. The way she talked to him as if she wanted to drink him in. The piece of food he was holding slipped from his chopsticks, landing with a splash into his miso soup. He immediately recovered, taking the piece and swishing around the broth to seem as though he meant to dip the sashimi. The three women were fooled for now and continued to eat.

 _I am unsure as to what is exactly wrong with me, but whatever it is needs to stop. Perhaps if I started a conversation, I could take my mind off of_ he looked at Eunji and saw that her hakama had slightly slipped down to reveal the pulse at her throat _off of that_.

"Thank you for not only cooking this delicious dinner, but for setting a dish aside for my Elizabeth the 3rd," Jumin said to Cheryl. True enough, Elizabeth the 3rd had circled up with Masako after their hot meal. Cheryl smiled and shook her head.

"Aww, well the gratitude should be for my wonderful cook staff. My sous chef was especially inspired today. And I know how Masako loves her grilled tuna. I assumed Elizabeth the 3rd would, too."

"Thank you, regardless." He spooned some of the miso soup to his mouth, letting the salty mixture run over his tongue. There was another soup he liked more than the miso. It was sweet and red. Perfectly blended. He peered over his bowl. Eunji was no longer eating, and was nervously shooting glances over at the entrance to the ryokan. Was she ill? Queasy? If she was not comfortable, her also felt uncomfortable. That would not do.

"Eunji, are you alright? Is the food not to your liking?" Jumin couldn't help but ask.

"I-I-I'm fine! Just, err, a little leftover carsick," she squeaked. Her eyes sparkled when she saw him, and her bottom lip slightly jut out in a pout. Alright, he admitted that was cute. Still, he wasn't quite convinced that she was okay. In fact, he would feel much better if he knew that she was in top form.

"May I get you anything? I could order some medication. Or would a hospital do?" He pulled out his phone, his thumb already on the screen to call the hospital.

"N-No! It's not that s-severe. See? All better!" Eunji picked up her chopsticks and ate a few bites of a pickled plum. "It really is delicious! Thank you, Jumin."

"Hmn…" Jumin grumbled. He watched Eunji as she shakily took bites of a steamed bun. He watched Eunji force small scoops of sorbet and let them rest at the bottom of her bowl. He watched Eunji refuse sake and carbonated drinks. The woman was shaking and obviously ill, and she wouldn't let him help her. It was infuriating.

When dinner finished Eunji jumped up from the table and hurriedly excused herself. Curiously, she dashed over to the entrance of the ryokan. Jumin ignored Cheryl herding the felines to the specific animal room in the ryokan. He stood, his vision swimming slightly from the sake, and took the initial step to follow Eunji to the front. If she was sick, of course he should help. Suddenly, a golden form flung itself in front of his path.

"Ah, Mr. Han! May I ask if you could go over some notes about tomorrow's discussion with me?" Jaehee did not have her glasses, but the glint in her eye was still the same. He understood her attempts to derail him from what he wanted, usually when he was planning a cat project. But now was different.

"Mmm? Yes, momentarily. I need to check on Eunji."

"Eunji? Yes, she's quite tired from traveling today. She told me she was going to sleep." That fleeing form didn't look like she was going to sleep. Was she in pain? Did she need medical attention? Did she catch a cold?

"If she has a fever, then she needs rest. But not before taking medication." He caught the flicker of Eunji's form dashing across the hallway behind Jaehee. He walked around Jaehee. She flung out her hand without thinking, barring his way.

"Mr. Han—" Jaehee choked out.

"I shall come to your room after I see to Eunji to discuss whatever paperwork you want. Until then, I must see with m own two eyes that she is fine." Jumin again brushed by Jaehee, gaining access to the main hallway. He saw Eunji slip into a room just in time to know where she stayed.

"Wait!" Jaehee grabbed onto the sleeve of Jumin's purple hakama. Startled by his assistant's sudden aggressive nature, he momentarily gaped at Jaehee.

"Assistant Kang?"

"Sir, I, eer… _really_ need to speak with you."

"Obviously you do. But. Not. Right. Now." With each word, he tugged at his sleeve until it popped out from between Jaehee's fingers. Finally free, Jumin sped down the hallway.

 _Good luck, Eunji. I did what I could._ Jaehee wearily thought as she turned, retreating to her own assigned dwelling.

"Eunji, may I please come in?" Jumin asked the sliding rice paper door.

"W-" Eunji attempted to say when Jumin came in.

"You've worried me. I wanted to be certain that you did not have a fever."

Eunji sat in the middle of a room large enough to fit three tatami mats and a sliding closet. The room had been redesigned to become another unit for the hotel, but Jumin could see that one of the foundation pillars still remained marked with Eunji's growth spurts. There was one window already open, letting the moonless sky darken the shadows on the light walls. Branches of the wisteria trees peeked out from the sides of the window. The room also smelled of cherry blossoms, something of which he knew Eunji smelled of as well. The woman was in the middle of shoving something into the closet.

"I'm feeling alright. Jumin, I promise." Her laugh was strained, but it still pleased him to hear it. She kept her back against the things she was shoving into the closet, attempting to smile. Her face had transformed into the shade of a ripe strawberry. Jumin sauntered closer to her, gaging her features.

"And yet you're beet red." He knelt down to be eye to eye with her, and tentatively reached out, letting his cool fingertips graze her sweltering forehead. Their skin contact sent a flurry of electricity throughout his entire body. "And your forehead is burning my hand to a crisp," he said, his voice unintentionally husky.

"I'm just really tired. I should be better in the morning," she whispered. Was she getting closer, or was he? They were sharing their breathes, body heat mingling, almost skin to skin. There were those lips again. Dark and soft. Should he? But then something briefly caught his attention.

"Eunji."

"Yes?" She rasped.

"What's that behind you?"

"Pillows."

"Just. Pillows?" He could see himself on the fabric. Him and Eunji. Were they in their undergarments?

"It's better if you leave thinking that." Eunji reached behind her to close the closet door, shutting the sight of the promiscuous body pillows away.

"Yes. Yes, I will. Please, have a good night's rest. I'll have some medication sent to you just in case you are in error."

"Thank you, Jumin. See you in the morning."

"Yes. See you first thing. Well then."

Jumin quickly got up and left her room. She did not see him lean against a pillar outside, trying to loosen a non existent tie, and Jumin was unable to hear the flustered Eunji's thoughts of: Geeze, that was hotter than any hot springs scene I could have imagined.

Jumin had completed speaking to Jaehee about those suddenly important documents, and also managed to bathe in the manmade hot springs at the back of the ryokan. Nothing he did could settle down the nerves that sparked inside of him like live electric wires. Not even the hot mineral water from the baths could sooth him. When he returned to his room and settled underneath a heavy down comforter, sleep would not visit him. His thoughts were muddled. Too muddled to figure anything out on his own. Without thinking, he removed his phone from its charger and dialed a number from memory. The phone rang twice before a woman's kind voice answered.

"MC? Ah, you must have answered Saeyoung's phone for him."

"Yup! Do you want me to find him for you?" Jumin sat up under his covers and turned on the lamp beside him.

"Considering I called his phone specifically to speak with him, yes. I you would."

"Funny as ever, Jumin. Here, one moment." He heard MC on the other line calling out for Saeyoung. Saeran told her that he was in the drafting room, and then there were more sounds of movement until Jumin heard Saeyoung thank MC. There was even the sound of an unmistakable kiss on the cheek.

"Yoho! What can I do for you, fellow cat lover?"

"I need your advi—thoughts on a certain matter." Thank goodness he caught himself. He was Jumin Han. He did not need advice.

"Alright, what kind of advithoughts do you need? Keep in mind that advithoughts cost five minutes of Elly pets."

"I'm hanging up." Jumin moved his thumb over the red hang up botton. A squeal from the other line kept him from firmly pressing the button.

"Wait, wait, wait! I couldn't help it! Please forgive me, Master Jumin!" Said Master Jumin closed his eyes and messaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger.

"I cannot believe I am willingly going to suffer through this," here Jumin sighed, "Saeyoung, what did you feel when you knew you carried affections for MC?"

"Oh." Was that not the correct question to ask? Apparently not, because he seemed to have mortally stunned his friend. Still, once he began, he could not stop.

"I need your dopamine, endorphin, oxytocin, and serotonin levels charted and ready. I can bring a team of neurological specialists to check my levels and compare them to yours. Thereafter I can analyze the situation properly and come to a logical conclusion."

"Jumin."

"Yes?"

"I don't need to know anything about chemical reactions to understand that you've fallen for Eunji." Saeyoung's voice was different. Steady and level. Nothing like his joking self. Saeyoung was taking Jumin's question seriously, and that meant what he was saying was what he truly thought.

"Fallen for Eunji? But I have not tripped." Jumin heard the other man sigh.

"Jumin, when you see Eunji, does your chest tighten as if you're being squeezed by a giant?"

"Yes."

"And your head goes fuzzy. Your fingers, toes, and skin tingle with anticipation?"

"…yes."

"And, when you see her, you want to protect her from the entire galaxy itself?"

"Yes. She was sick today, and it frustrated me that she did not want to accept my aid. I want to see her right now, in fact. I want to have her always in my sight." He refrained from saying out loud that his urge to protect her was slowly consuming him, and that above all else was frightening him.

"Jumin, you called me because somehow you innately knew that you could learn about love from someone who has and still is experiencing it."

"Love? Are you implying that I love Eunji? True, she sees me for who I am. She trusts my decisions. Shares in my interests. She's smart and ambitious and elegant. I desire to be near her." He got to his feet, the comforter falling from around his waist.

"But?"

"But that cannot be love." Jumin paced around his room, becoming agitated.

"Are you afraid because of what happened with V? Rika?" In mid step, Jumin saw the deep night waiting outside his window. The sky was dark, only painted here and there with a swirling of stars. There was no moon, chilling his core.

"I don't want to be left alone, again," he found himself replying.

"Listen. I was in your shoes once. I separated myself from others because I was scared that they would eventually leave me. Sure, I was a shadow and one reason to distance myself was to protect those who I cared for. But then I realized, standing back and hiding while life went by would not actively shield the ones I loved. Thanks to MC, I had courage to do something about my fate—all because I took a chance. A chance on her."

"So you are alluding that taking courage in itself is worth whatever may happen afterwards?"

"In a sense, yes."

"I need to be…brave."

"And don't forget, you have the RFA! We've missed you these past two years! Zen's been whining like a kid, and Yoosung has been wanting your magic approval! Even Saeran has been worried. He likes you a lot, Jumin. Don't disappear on us again, okay?"

"Hmn. I apologize for my absence." Jumin sat back down, cross legged on top of his futon.

"If anything, I want to thank Eunji for luring you back out," Saeyoung chuckled into the phone.

"Eunji. Love…perhaps. Perhaps I could take the first step."

"Sooooooo, that would be 20 minutes of Elly pets for payment, Mr. Han."

Jumin hung up the phone.

Saeyoung stared at his phone's blank screen, unable to take the happy grin off of his face.

"Is Jumin alright?" MC had returned from the living room, tottering over to where he sat. Saeyoung dangled the phone from his fingers, flashing her his dashing smile.

"Oh, he's more than alright."


	13. The Meeting

When Eunji awoke the next sunny morning, she could still feel her cherry flushed face and the lingering cool chills of Jumin's closeness. Her whole body had been finely tuned like a cello, just ready to perform a brilliant solo. She had barely slept that night, and ended up finding Masako and Elizabeth the 3rd in the appointed animal guest room. Masako knew something was vivaciously eating at her owner's fried nerves. The cat immediately jumped onto Eunji's lap and started to purr so loud, it could rival a four wheeler's powerful engine. Eunji wearily smiled, comforted by her pet's good nature. Elizabeth the 3rd tottered over and spread her long white body across the woman's feet, not wanting to be outdone. Huddled with the two sweet felines, Eunji drifted to a cloudy, muddled sleep.

"Honey, don't you have to get ready for the meeting this afternoon?" Came a familiar chirping above her. Eunji opened her crusty eyes, still as conflicted about her feelings this morning as she had been the night prior. Just the idea of being in a small room during the meeting with Jumin made everything within her flutter out of control.

She had read somewhere that being in love was to become slightly crazy. Apparently, when one was in love, their chemical makeup went haywire. One was literally seeing the world through rose tinted glasses, looking past their love's faults and glorifying the good. That's why some relationships fell through after a few months. The crazy love haze had worn off, and they saw their lover for who they truly were.

But Eunji didn't feel crazy. She could see that Jumin had his faults. He could be obsessed and covered his insecurities with proud proclamations. He could forget to express true gratitude to his employees, and got to the raw point of a matter like a lion tearing into its meal with vicious teeth. Yet…Eunji saw the concern dancing behind his gray eyes last night. Jumin Han was concerned for her health. So much so that he completely ignored the silly pillows behind her. The contrast between that concerned look and the impassive one they shared when they first met was monumental. With one look, Eunji could see that Jumin could feel such a swell of emotions that he couldn't properly share them. At that very moment while they hovered so close together, she yearned to reach out to him and hold him to her chest, letting him hear the rhythm of her heart.

No. This wasn't a passing fancy like she had hoped it would be. Jumin Han was a man that was worth fighting for. That she would fight for. There was no reason to fight against this anymore. And even if there were, those reasons had been made to protect herself.

"Hello? Eunj, dear?"

Well, now that she knew what she wanted, how was she going to go about it? Just up and tell him? It would not be professional to corner him at his office while he was enjoying the cherry soup she made and blurt out that she really, really liked him. Loved him. No, no, no. Definitely not. Especially if he didn't return her feelings. That would be a painful rest of the workday. Maybe something after work? Eunji knew his schedule just as well as Jaehee. He was booked solid for the next few months. Maybe she could tell him at the RFA party? Again, no. The RFA party was for charity. She wouldn't feel right making the night about her love confession. She also didn't want to ruin the fine work MC did inviting the guests. That would have been unfair.

"I brought breakfast. Your favorite, remember? Honey, you're dazing out."

Plus, the party was a month and a half away. Way too far away. If she had to bottle up her feelings any longer, she'd explode with enough force to propel her to space. At least she'd be able to meet Saeyoung and MC up there. Eunji sighed, her hand absently patting at Masako's furry head. Jaehee was accompanying her and Jumin in the limo today. Confessing with an audience wasn't the ideal setting she wanted, but it may come down to it.

"EUNJI!"

"Eh?! Oh, mom. You brought breakfast." Eunji guiltily waved at her mother who was as she said, holding two trays of steaming rice, a sweet egg roll, and a roasted fish. Her mouth watered. Maybe she would have been less hungry if she was able to eat more the night prior. All well. Let bygones be bygones. Err, except for Youngmi and Woojin. She'd have to raise the whole haunting them thing higher to making sure they'd have an unrestful afterlife as well. There'd have to be a way to get them back.

Eunji and Cheryl ate their breakfast together. They caught up on events since the last time they spoke on the phone. Eunji's two half brothers were doing well. Her eldest brother was already married with two children while her youngest was still single and loving it. Eunji pictured her brothers and felt the usual pang in her chest, missing their company. Maybe they would visit soon.

"Thank you for everything, Mom." Eunji tapped her stomach and set down her tray, satisfied. Cheryl only nodded, setting her own tray down. Oh no. She was putting on her serious face. The one that consisted of softened green eyes and a downturned mouth.

"Eunji, I know I may sound like a broken record…" Eunji knew it. Another attempt to make Eunji take over the ryokan.

"Mom, I know that you want me to take over the hotel. I know it should pass down to me. But, but I don't want to stay in one place. You understand, right? I want to go to Japan and America and Ireland and everywhere! Dad even agreed as long as the hotel passes to a good new owner."

"I know dear. I know. I only wanted to give you one last chance before the meeting." Cheryl bowed her head and sighed, a habit that Eunji picked up when she was little. "I want you to follow that dream, then. You're a driven individual and stubborn like your father. With those traits, you can go far." Cheryl pushed her food tray away, holding out her arms to her daughter. Eunji's eyes watered. Wiping the moisture away with the back of her sleeve, she fell into her mother's embrace, hugging the older woman tight. A weight that had been pressed deep into her gut ever so slightly lightened.

Cheryl left soon after, taking the dirty dish-ware back to the kitchen. Eunji took the time to clean up and prepare for the meeting. She adorned her new green silk blouse and black pencil skirt. Her long red hair hung down her back in smooth waves, and she even attempted to slip in her favorite fake emerald earrings. Since working at C&R, her drab gray wardrobe had brightened, and soon she was wearing a rainbow of fascinating garments. Eunji felt fresh, clean, and powerful. Well, as powerful as she could be with butterflies in her stomach. She strode out of her room when she collided with a body. A warm, familiar body.

_I wonder what I did to upset Lady Luck?_

"Jumin? Goodness, I'm s-s-sorry." Eunji backed up and saw that she had accidentally knocked Jumin's briefcase from his hand. "Here, let me pick that up." Jumin did not move or say a word. In fact, he was only standing there, intently pinning her down with his heavy stare. There was something struggling to be freed from that stare, too. Eunji gulped, taking stock of the situation. The usual, well put together, confident, sleek Jumin Han was…ruffled. His tie was askew. The vest underneath his suit was buttoned incorrectly. His sleeves were bunched at the ends. And, wait, he didn't tie his right shoe?

"Are you alright?" Eunji asked, suddenly very worried.

"I am fine. Did you receive the medication I had delivered to your room?"

"Yes." She'd seen the bottle and note when she went to change. "I'm feeling a lot better now. Thank you." Eunji bent to pick up the items that had spilled from Jumin's briefcase. This time, she made sure to find his phone and set it neatly inside along with his business card case, dictionary, and packet of emergency cat food for Elizabeth the 3rd. She then snapped the case closed, and by the handle, offered the item to Jumin. He was still only looking at her, making her skin prickle with goose flesh. After a few moments of an awkward staring contest, Jumin took the briefcase.

"You, um, your tie and buttons are off," Eunji muttered. Jumin quickly glanced down, his brows furrowing as if he just now noticed his disarray. "Here, I'll fix it up real q-q-quick." Dang it. Why did she have to revert to her stutter? Eunji forced her hands to fix and then straighten Jumin's striped tie, feeling every movement of his neck and shoulders through her fingertips. His breath was hot on top of her head, and the buzzing energy permeating the air was thick with baited anticipation.

Eunji moved to Jumin's buttons. To fix them, she first had to unbutton his entire vest. Jumin stood as a looming statue, briefcase in hand, watching her as she pushed each button out of their hole, undressing Jumin however briefly. Gulping, Eunji rebuttoned the vest, hurriedly straightened Jumin's cuffs, and bent to tie the undone shoe with superwoman speed. If she had to stay that close to Jumin any longer, she'd pounce on him. There were no if's and's, or but's about it. The man would be shown no mercy, even if there was a meeting in less than five minutes.

"Thank you, Eunji. This is unbecoming of me. I apologize for my dishevel."

"No! It's fine. Last night was…" Her stomach squeezed as she thought of his lips hovering close to hers.

"It was enlightening," Jumin finished.

"There you two are!" Jaehee's frustrated voice chimed. Jumin ad Eunji turned around to find a nearly frazzled Jaehee tapping her foot in impatience. They had been so focused on each other that neither one of them heard Jaehee's arrival. "I have been calling you both on your phones for the past fifteen minutes! The meeting has started!"

"What?!" Eunji slapped her hand to her open mouth. "But I had five minutes and…" She held up her wrist to survey her wrist watch. Sure enough, those five minutes had melted away into nothingness while she had fixed up Jumin's suit. "Jaehee, I'm so sorry."

"Save the sorry's. Just follow me so we can properly start the meeting.."

"Yes Ma'am," Eunji said, bowing her head in shame.

"Assistant Kang, please direct any grievance towards me. The fault in Eunji's tardiness was all of my doing. I apologize for the inconvenience," Jumin evenly said while the three were hurrying over to the meeting room. Jaehee's shoulders tensed, and she tentatively turned her head to openly gape at her boss.

"Oh, well, err," the poor assistant managed to say.

"It was both of us. I should have paid more attention to the time," Eunji added.

"I do not know what in the world is going on, but I don't care. Just get in here!" Cheryl said from the meeting room's doorway. The three C&R employees all bowed their heads, sighed, and entered into the ryokan's modern office. Thereupon, the four adults settled into their seats. Cheryl sat at her desk while Jaehee and Eunji sat the opposite of her. Jumin was in the corner, observing Jaehee in her first official trial as Director. A silent spector for now.

"Eunji, please locate the papers for case 102a."

"Here you are, Jaehee." Eunji slipped a couple of papers from her file folder, sliding the sheets into Jaehee's view onto the black desk. Jaehee passed a hand along her hair and then picked the items up.

"Thank you. Please take notes."

"Yes, ma'am!" The assistant's assistant took out her note pad and her favorite turquoise ink pen, ready to record everything.

"Miss Cheryl, I understand that you would like to enter into a contract with us." Jaehee glanced over her own notes and then at Cheryl. Eunji was able to see the slight twitch to Jaehee's lips, indicating that she was enjoying her new role as Director-to-be. Good. Jaehee was meant to lead.

"Yes. The plot of land this ryokan sits on is in need of constant maintenance due to the constructed hot springs. The ryokan's profits are spotty in consistency and are sometimes unable to cover the entirety of the bills." Cheryl was once again acting wonderfully in her assigned role of ryokan manager. Her head was lifted, back straight, and she never broke eye contact. Not even when she had to admit that her funds alone could not keep the plot floating. That she was in need of Eunji's paycheck whenever profits could not meet expectations.

"And so you want us to purchase the land. Your monthly payment will lower in result of the purchase. In turn you will sell C&R merchandise in an appointed gift shop that C&R would gladly build."

"Yes, ma'am. I am willing to accept these terms."

"You will sell the newly produced products such as the designer animal body pillow including a sound byte provided by the owner."

"Of course I will! I may have to buy a Masako one myself."

"Wonderful. I also have another proposal."

Jumin raised his head from his notes. Eunji flipped through a few pages of the proposal. That should have been everything discussed. What was Jaehee doing?

"You have a cat room for visitors, yes?"

"We do."

"Then, would you be apposed to C&R not only installing specific ventilation units in said cat room so visitors with allergies are unaffected by cat allergens, but also building a dog room as well?"

"Oh my goodness! I have been trying to save enough for years in order to do just that!"

"Perfect. Eunji, please mark down the details. I personally want to invite the actor known as Zen to promote your ryokan once the construction is complete. It is well known that Zen is allergic to cats. If he is able to roam the hotel's halls without breaking into an allergic fit, then you will obtain an entirely new portion of guests."

"Wait, you want _the_ Zen to come, h-h-h-here?!" Cheryl stood up, completely forgetting about her professional persona.

"Are you a fan of his?" Jaehee shyly asked.

"Of course! Oh my, his most recent musical was simply magical!"

"You agree, yes?"

And so, the debate about the fate of the Akatsuki Ryokan had been sealed within the glee of two fangirls finding each other at last to further solidify their love for the actor Zen.

Eunji soon found herself packing up her items, firmly securing Masako in her harness, and hugging her mother good-bye. She had asked Cheryl if she could keep the unseemly body pillows at the ryokan until she had an idea of how to take them with her without Jumin sitting face to face with them. Cheryl had cocked her head to one side in confusion, telling her daughter that there was only one pillow in the closet when she checked.

"Just one? But there were two," Eunji mused out loud.

"I saw only a saucy pillow of your Jumin Han in the closet." Cheryl wiggled her dark eyebrows at her daughter.

"Mom, like I told you, Youngmi' jokes are escalating. I didn't get them myself!"

"Well, don't worry dear. I'll keep good care of it until you're ready to pick it up again. Although, I sure wish it could have been a Zen body pillow. Why didn't you tell me you knew him? Give me his number sometime."

"Mooom," Eunji blushed. She wouldn't wish her mother on Zen anytime soon. In any case, she wondered where in the world her own body pillow had gone off to.

"I've made rearrangements." Jumin and Jaehee were waiting in the limo with Driver Kim humming an old tune in the front. Jumin was tickling Elizabeth the 3rd under her chin while Jaehee eyed the stray strands of white fur flying from the feline with apprehension. Eunji was inside saying her farewells to her mother, and now was the time to implement his plan of attack.

"Yes, Mr. Han?"

"I need someone to run C&R efficiently while I am gone for one week at Japan at the upcoming convention."

"Sir?" This trip had been a go for more than half a year. What had gotten into Jumin to bring up the convention as if he were going to modify the plans for them? Jaehee felt the beginnings of a headache creep into her skull. Yes, because he was going to change the plans.

"I trust in you, Assistant Kang. You did wonderfully with negotiating with Miss Cheryl. You went beyond expectations." Jumin let the compliment wash over his stunned assistant. She swallowed hard and then moistened her lips with her tongue. Jaehee folded her hands to steady their shaking.

"To be sincere, my father seems to have a case of…what do they call it…senioritis." Jumin reflected upon those words. They were completely true. There was a new woman in his father's life. Who was it? Miss Choi or something another. His father had been constructing branches of C&R to suit his new woman's needs that Jumin was all too certain he would drop once the romantic fling was over. "He is too busy flirting than actually working. I am afraid his predilections will damage the company even if I am gone for only a week."

"What I am hearing is that you want me to stay at C&R while you go to Japan." Jaehee massaged her brow and shook her head. What that also meant was that all of her meticulous planning would go to waste. She would need to construct a new outline for that week. Surely, she would need to temporarily take back on the cat projects. Then she would have to meet with some representatives that she had previously turned down due to the Japan trip. She couldn't make that excuse now. Already, Jaehee was mentally building her web of chores and tasks. And yet, she recalled how she found Mr. Han and Eunji earlier that morning. They were faced together as if they were ready to dance, hand in hand and heart to heart. She'd never seen Mr. Han like that before. Like he burned with an intensity so fierce, his cold exterior had momentarily melted away.

"Yes. And I want Eunji to come with me."

"Oh, I see Mr. Han." She already had guessed he would say that.

"You're not going to fight me on this as per usual?" Jumin blinked, fairly startled by her lack of reprimands.

"No sir. Not this time."

"Well then." He paused. "When we come back from Japan, I want you to do something important."

"Yes, Mr. Han?"

"I'll need you to take a break. The future Director of C&R should at the very least be given a minor reprieve, yes?"


	14. The Messages

Eunji: GUYS! I GET TO GO TO JAPAN!

ZEN: Nice! I once played a Japanese lord in a drama a few years back.

Saeyoung: That's so kewl, Eunji! Are you going to a maid café? I can show you some pictures of one of my auditions.

ZEN: Plz don't.

Eunji: Well, I'm going to Japan instead of Jaehee for work, so this would be purely work.

ZEN: WHAAAAT?! Does that mean you're going with Jumin, _alone_? As in, just you and him in one hotel room? No supervision?!

Eunji: I mean, we'll have separate suits and we will participate in meetings mostly, but yeah, it'll be just us.

ZEN: You have to be careful, Eunji!

ZEN: All men are complete beasts on the inside. I know I said Jumin is ice cold like the iceberg that struck down the Titanic, but put him alone with a cute and pretty girl like you, and his baser instincts will definitely kick in! Oh God.

Eunji: Thanks for worrying Zen, but I've got this handled. Jumin's not like that.

Jumin: How uncouth. I would not attack Eunji like some rabid caveman.

ZEN: Woah! Speak of the devil! Are you here for work again? Or are you actually going to talk to us for once?

Jumin: Not for work. I am here to chat. This is a chat room. Would you deny me my basic chatting rights?

ZEN: That's not what I meant.

Jumin: Then think before you write. In fact, just put down your phone to save yourself the trouble.

ZEN: JUMIN!

Jumin: Eunji, were you able to settle in properly at your apartment?

ZEN: Is he ignoring me?!

Eunji: Yes. I'm nice and comfy with Masako.

Jumin: Good. I am glad to hear such pleasant news.

Saeyoung: He's completely ignoring you, dude.

ZEN: I'm not done talking to you, Trust Fund Kid! Yo! Hey!

Jumin: Also, just because this is a business trip does not mean there will be no free time. If you wish to visit a maid café, then we can accomplish that feat.

Eunji: Maybe we could drop by a cosplay store. I'm kind of a closeted anime nerd.

Jumin: Cosplay? I wonder what you would cosplay as?

Eunji: I guess we'll find out later!

Saeyoung: Ha. They're both ignoring you, buddy. Time to call our losses.

ZEN: How can anyone ignore this beautiful face? These eyes? Hair? Ma bod?

Jumin: You do have an updated passport, yes?

Eunji: Yup! I went to China once for a work meeting, and I've been to America twice for family get togethers.

Jumin: Excellent news. Then all is a go.

Saeyoung: They can. They can totally resist your charms, dude.

Yoosung*: Hey guys! Have I missed anything? I was just released from my internship and, man! Did you know that cats don't have a collarbone? That's why they can squeeze through tight spaces!

Yoosung*: They really _can_ sits if they fits!

Saeyoung: Sorry, Yoosung my lad. Eunji and Jumin are in a world of their own right now. You can only hang out with us sad and downtrodden outcasts now.

ZEN: Like hell I'd be an outcast! I'm too smooth and well spoken to be thrown aside like, like a mere side character!

Saeyoung: Something tells me that's exactly what you are meant to be right now. Maybe if the author thinks of something nice for you, you could get your own main character rank in another story.

ZEN: W-what? I don't understand a word you said.

Saeyoung: By the way, if someone is staying up late reading, make sure rest your eyes and eat well!

Saeyoung: :^P

Yoosung*: I have no clue what you're up to, but that's just Saeyoung being Saeyoung.

Yoosung*: Anyway, I am forever alone. I'll fit right in talking with Zen. I'll tell him everything I learned at my internship. He'll have no choice because no one else will listen to him.

ZEN: HEY!

Jumin: Eunji, I look forward to our trip.

Jumin: I have been to Japan a few times previously for business trips. There's a sister site there for C&R, so I am not unfamiliar with the area.

Jumin: And yet, knowing that this would be your first visit to Japan makes _me_ feel…excited. I believe that is the correct terminology.

Eunji: So, you're excited that I'm excited?

Jumin: Precisely.

Saeyoung: Hehehe

Saeyoung: Hahaha

Saeyoung: Hohoho

ZEN: I don't what to be annoyed with the most.

ZEN: The fact that Jumin is getting oddly sentimental in the first real chat he's had with us in ages.

ZEN: Or that Saeyoung has broken.

Yoosung*: I vote neither. It's been so long since we've all had fun like this on the chat.

Jumin: I wish time would wash away so that Japan is ever closer.

Eunji: It's only a week away. We'll be fine.

Jumin: Yes. We will.

Yoosung*: nvm I vote sentimentality

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eunji: Youngmi. Woojin. Sooo not cool.

Youngmi: What's not cool? The weather? It has been hot out lately. Lemme fan myself.

Eunji: Don't play me like that. The pillows! The. Pillows.

Woojin: Oh, so you _did_ get them. We were wondering.

Youngmi: Like usual, Woojin, you blew our cover.

Eunji: There was nothing to blow!

Youngmi: I bet there w

Eunji: I knew it was both of you!

Woojin: lol

Eunji: I swear, I am going to make your afterlives so ravaged by misery. The Grugee has nothing on me.

Youngmi: Whatevs. Anyway, you didn't get onto our thread just to rave about some pillows.

Eunji: Some pillows that Jumin Han saw. How many more times do you want me to get embarrassed?

Woojin: Maybe five more times? Your face gets all red and splotchy.

Eunji: Nevermind. I'll drop it for now. I'm not even going to ask how you got that commission done so fast.

Eunji: I guess I did have something important to tell you two.

Youngmi: Spill girl. Spill.

Woojin: Give us the juicy details.

Eunji: I'm going to go on a business to Japan with Jumin. And…I'm, err.

Youngmi: You're going to Japan!? Squeeee!1!

Woojin: And I'm err, WHAT?

Youngmi: Yeah, WHATCHUGONNASAY?

Eunji: I'm going to confess to him.

Youngmi: WHAT?!

Woojin: WHAT?!

Eunji: Maybe you were sorta, kinda right. I do have a crush, well, more than a crush on him.

Youngmi: I KNEW IT! Girl, you just needed time and a push! A pillow push! Now, go get your man! Getim!

Woojin: Wow, Youngmi's plot actually worked! Crazy, huh.

Youngmi: What do you mean _actually_? This isn't my first time around the block, you blockhead. I am a genius at the matchmaking game.

Woojin: Sorry, dear.

Youngmi: All's forgiven for now, hun.

Eunji: Will you two wish me luck confessing instead of the usual pillows this time? I'm going to run out of space and deodorant if you send me any more of those.

Youngmi: Anything for you, babe.

Woojin: Will do!

Eunji: Thank you guys.

Youngmi: make her to practice kissing on the pillows. You have to be on your top form.

Woojin: Remember, you kiss with your lips.

Eunji: Why do I surround myself with these people. I'm going to go insane.

Youngmi: We're too fun to leave, hun. You'd be boring without us. I'd rather take insane.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jumin: Elizabeth the 3rd and Masako secured at Akatsuki Ryokan?

Jaehee: Check.

Jumin: Luggage sent to the correct hotel?

Jaehee: Double check.

Jumin: Your rescheduled meetings managed for the week?

Jaehee: Check and check squared!

Jaehee: But Mr. Han. We've been through this checklist many times, and you're already on the jet to

Japan. There's no need for this checklist any longer.

ZEN: Don't tell me. Is Trust Fund Kid is _scared_ of flying?

Jumin: Nothing of the sort.

Jaehee: You do seem nervous, Mr. Han. This isn't like you. Is Eunji alright? Is that why you are uneasy?

Eunji: Oh, I'm right here. I'm at the window seat. Jumin's sitting right next to me. All is well!

Eunji: I just bumped his elbow with mine.

ZEN: Why do you have to be that close when the jet is owned by Jumin?

Eunji: Eh? You own this, Jumin?

Jumin: Of course. I wouldn't fly in anything other than the C&R brand.

ZEN: Again, why. So. Close? Are your beast instincts kicking in?

Jumin: Not that it's any of your business, but we are on a passenger jet.

ZEN: WTH? The Jumin Han on a passenger flight?

Jumin: Seeing as this is Eunji's first trip to Japan, I also wanted to experience a first.

ZEN: As in a commercial flight? -_-

Jumin: Ya

ZEN: Ya my butt.

Jumin: If it pleases you, we are in the first class cabin.

ZEN: That doesn't please me at all!

Jaehee: As long as you are feeling up to speed, Mr. Han, then running C&R from this side will go smoothly.

Jumin: Thank you, Assistant Kang.

Jaehee: Y-you're welcome.

Yoosung*: Hey every one! Umm, how's flying? I've never been on a plane before.

Eunji: You haven't? We'll have to fix that sometime. It's so mesmerizing how something so large can cut through the air with such ease. Isn't that right Jumin? Umm, Jumin?

Jumin: Mesmerizing. Yes.

Eunji: Eeerr

Yoosung*: I'd want to go Alaska and quietly play my games. Even better! I could open my own vet clinic.

Jaehee: That's an honorable goal.

Yoosung*: I really want to help! I really do! I can make a different taking this path.

Yoosung*: What about you, Jaehee? What's your dream?

Jaehee: Save enough money to buy out an entire viewing of Zen's Muscial, Bats for the entire week.

ZEN: That is oddly specific but I love everything about it. Thank you.

Jaehee: There is no need to thank me. I am only expressing what awe you truly deserve.

Yoosung*: Jumin, what are your dreams?

Jumin: No comment.

Yoosung*: Hey, that's no fair.

Jumin: I shall amend my previous statement.

Jumin: Dreaming-is-in-progress.

Yoosung*: Now you sound like Saeyoung…

ZEN: Never thought I'd read that Jumin and Saeyoung are similar.

Yoosung*: What about you, Eunji? What are your dreams?

Eunji: I've only said this to one person, but I guess it won't hurt now. I want to teach in Japan.

Yoosung*: Wow! So, Jumin taking you to Japan is like a great big present to you!

Eunji: A present?

ZEN: Hey, aren't you going to ask what my dream is, Yoosung?

Yoosung*: I already know your dream.

Jaehee: We already know your dream.

Eunji: We already know your dream.

Jumin: I don't care about your dream.

ZEN: …

ZEN: That goes to show how bright of a star I shine! Hahaha!

ZEN: Wait. JUMIN HAN! How dare you not care about my

Jumin: Thank goodness. It's time to land. I am logging off.

Eunji: Talk to you guys later!

-Jumin Logged Off-

-Eunji Logged Off-

Jaehee: I hope all fairs well with those two.

Yoosung*: *sigh* Me, too.

ZEN: Yo, guys? What do you mean? Hellooo?  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

MC: Saeran, where are you? I thought you were back in the garden, but I couldn't find you.

Saeran: Oh! I went inside to make a sandwich real quick. Did you want one, too?

MC: No thank you. Hmn, the kitchen you say? I didn't see you there when I passed by.

Saeran: I went to the bathroom first.

MC: Saeran. Are you doing alright? Do we need to talk?

Saeran: I'm doing fine. Please, don't worry about me.

MC: I can't help it. You're my baby's uncle and my husband's brother. We all care about you.

Saeran: It's fine. I'm. I'm just doing. Doing research. Private research.

MC: Does this have anything to do with your father? You know he lost all of his power. He won't come back to hurt either of you.

Saeran: It's not that man. This is research for a friend. I'm close to finding something to help her.

MC: Help her?

Saeran: That doesn't matter. Just know that I'm doing this for myself, too. I have to do this. If I don't, I'll, I'll-

MC: Saeran, you do what you have to do. I won't stop you.

Saeran: Thank you, MC. Just, thank you.

Saeran: Oh. Oh! I found it! That was some tough security. Let's see…

MC: Saeran, what is it?

Saeran: I can't believe this. I can't. But. But it makes sense. So much sense.

MC: You do realize my curiosity is supremely peaked right now.

Saeran: But should I tell her now? She'll be leaving soon. Her trip would be ruined. I'd ruin her trip.

MC: I'm pretty sure you won't be ruining anything, Saeran. Remember what we've told you.

Saeran: I'm not a waste of space. I'm irreplaceable. You and Saeyoung and baby all love me. And I love myself.

MC: Good.

Saeran: Right. I'm fine. It's alright. I'll think it through. I still need to tell her. If only to help them. If only to help me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Now we’ve caught up to what I’ve posted on FanFiction.net. Should be around a chapter a week. I can smell the end drawing near-ish!


	15. The Daydream

The plan was simple. All Eunji needed to do was pick out a time as to when she would tell Jumin everything. All during the flight, chatting with her friends, and even when they disembarked in Tokyo, she was stuck within the machinations of her imagination, molding her story's plot.

If everything went according to plan, this was how the confession was going to pan out:

Eunji would wait until Jumin was alone. She would be the one to pin him down with her own brand of intense, smoldering stare. Jumin would slowly blink his lovely eyes, the curtain of long eyelashes fluttering in confusion. His downturned mouth would charmingly lift as he ravished her with his heated gaze, as if the flames of a wild fire were licking at her flesh. She would strut right up to him, confident, head held high, hips swinging and stop a mere couple inches away from his tall, strong figure.

_Wait, where are we here? Oh! We'll be on top of the Tokyo Tower! Perfect! I heard that's a pretty romantic place to stop at._

A cherry blossom breeze would twirl around them both, and she would inhale the heavenly scent that only belonged to Jumin Han. Not vanilla or peaches or any of the other colognes he had previously used. He smelled like the rich aroma of freshly tailored suits with a hint of green tea. A subtle and yet distinct scent. Eunji's hair would whip artfully over her face, making Jumin reach out and tuck the unruly red locks behind her burning ear. They wouldn't mean to make skin contact, but that gesture from Jumin would make it so that their skin ever so gently brushed. An electric bolt from Zeus himself would thunder down their spines, and they'd hustle even closer with the vast city around them as their witness.

_It better be nighttime for this. It's more mood setting. And there should be blinking white lights should be all over on the tower._

The glittering stars from the tapestry of night above would peer at the two lovers to be, giddily hoping all would go well. The tower itself would be appropriately dressed with string after string of glamorous, blinking white lights. Everything was shining just for them. And then Eunji would say:

"Jumin. I love you. I love your humor. I love the way you're so meticulous. I love our debates and how we can still be friendly even after our opposing views. I love that you love cats and animals in general. How you want others to be clean and fed and treated well. I love your hands, your mouth, your eyes. I love you Jumin Han."

And Jumin would grin, a true full roguish grin only seen on the movies, and he would—

_Add fireworks. Many colored fireworks!_

And he would huskily say as flurries of multicolored fireworks burst into to flowers to decorate the dark curtain of night, "I know." He would bend down, his lips hot even before they met hers, and deeply kiss her. The riot of the fireworks and buzzing from the electric lights would shimmer away and all there would be, all there would ever be, was Jumin. Jumin Han.

"Eunji, please make sure to rest well tonight. Tomorrow is the first day of the convention, and I will expect you to uphold the standards to that of Assistant Kang."

"Wow. The fireworks really add to the affect. Maybe the Star Bores quote was too much, though…"

"Eunji? Do not tell me you are feeling unwell again. There is a hospital nearby."

"Hmn?" Eunji lazily blinked and then cleared her head. She was sitting in the adjoining living room portion of their two hotel suits. The soft white leather of the couch was almost like a cradle sending Eunji off to a lovely daydream of sleep. The tall man hovering above her had finally snapped her out of her daze. "Oh! Jumin. Sorry, I think you're right. It's time to go to sleep." She couldn't help but give Jumin a good once over. He had taken off his suit and vest, leaving only the sleek black dress shirt, dark dress pants, and black socks. Eunji had already seen how endearing Jumin was in a dark hakama. In fact, she almost died from heart palpations when she first saw him in the outfit at Akatsuki Ryokan. But somehow, with Jumin wearing the bare minimum of his usual clothing, the atmosphere felt a bit more…intimate. She gulped, feeling the back of her neck slime with sweat. Maybe now would be a good time to tell him? She opened her mouth as if to speak.

Jumin frowned as if conflicted, turned away, and walked over to the large windows overlooking Tokyo. Any words in her throat had to be swallowed back down. She had to appreciate the sight. Jumin outlined by the city of flashing signs and constant line of traffic; what a work of art. A spark of her daydream overlapped with reality, and she shook her head. Confessing would have to wait until after the convention. She was too tired to think straight, and there was nothing but work ahead of them both.

As it turned out, waiting was the best idea she could have come up with. The days she went to the convention with Jumin were extremely brutal. There was no time to revel in her inhabiting a hotel at Japan let alone brew up a proper plot to confess to Jumin. The entire days were blocked with meeting after meeting. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next four days were all held either in the convention room of their hotel, or at restaurants. Most of the businessmen spoke English, and she was crestfallen that she couldn't practice her Japanese while listening to the meetings.

Eunji, exhausted from typing, writing, listening to boring speeches, calling clients, scheduling appointments, and speaking with convention attendees, would then have to settle down in her seat at the business dinners and drink the offered hot sake. It was rude not to drink while others partook of the drinks, and so Eunji did her absolute best in taking the smallest sips of her alcohol without anyone noticing. Although she tried her best, she always left the dinners woozy and grateful for her bed at the hotel's suite. She'd wearily look outside at the bustling city beyond her, and smile. She was in Japan. She was with Jumin. No matter how hard she was worked, her feelings of satisfaction still lingered.

**Eunji** : Jaehee, my respect for you had quadrupled.

**Jaehee** : What do you mean?

**Eunji** : Being a Chief Assistant is difficult.

**Jaehee** : Well, I have only started you off with cat projects. What you're experiencing now is Mr. Han at level 5 typhoon forces.

**ZEN** : He isn't pushing you to do too much, right Eunji?

Eunji rolled over on her stomach. She was at last decompressing from the final day at the convention. She trudged back up to her suite and immediately collapsed onto the waiting bed. This hotel was nothing like her mother's. It was at the peak of high class and polished of with a sleek sheen. In fact, she was pretty sure she had never stayed in something so classy. Eunji even had her own bellboy, who of course she didn't utilize. She could get her own chores done, thank you. Still, the hotel had its charm. Like how every time she came back, she was able to see Jumin. She had to force down her bubbly glee at waking up each morning to see Jumin Han at the common room eating breakfast. And the simple fact that she could tell him good night face to face had driven her up the walls with joy. No. There was no way she would ever trade in the week she had with Jumin Han.

**Eunji** : Oh, no. I find working this hard fun, actually.

**ZEN** : ...fun?

**Jaehee** : …fun?

**ZEN** : I guess everyone should have as much fun as I do with my job, but still…

**Eunji** : Plus, this evening is at last our time off from the business convention!

**Jumin** : Ah, it is, isn't it?

**Eunji** : Jumin! Welcome! I thought you were still speaking with Takahashi-San.

**Jumin** : I finished early. More-so, what would you like to do this evening? We have the whole of Tokyo at our fingertips.

She heard movements from beyond her door. Just imagining the man of her affections being in the same space made her so jittery that she jumped from the comfort of the bed and began to pace. It was difficult to focus on the chat as her thumb were shaking. Tonight was the night. She was like one of Pavlov's dogs, drooling at her perceived chance. Gosh, she needed to get it together.

**Yoosung*** : I'm so jealous! There's an entire store in Akihabara devoted to LOLOL there! T_T

**ZEN** : Yoosung, I can't see either Eunji or Jumin going to Akihabara, lol. Even if Eunji is a closeted anime nerd.

**Jaehee** : Isn't Akihabara also known not just for the anime and manga industry, but for its

**Saeyoung** : TECHNOLOGY!

**Jaehee** : -_- Yes. It's technology.

**Yoosung*** : Oh god! We must keep Saeyoung from Akihabara at all costs! He'd hack the entire world!

**Saeran** : We'd have to keep you away, too. I can see you falling back into the depths of LOLOL.

**Yoosung*** : You weren't even here for that phase!

**Yoosung*** : Anyway, you should admit that you're jealous, too! I know you want to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom!

**Saeran** : I do, but that does not mean I'm jealous.

**Yoosung*** : Are too

**Saeran** : Are not

**Yoosung*** : Aer oto

**Saeran** : ARE NOT!

**ZEN** : Both of you—stop! Don't you know arguing like that will only give you nasty wrinkles?

**Jumin** : Is that why I saw a wrinkle under your left eye with the last selfie you posted?

Despite knowing Jumin was joking, she couldn't help but flip through previous chats to find Zen's last selfie. Ah, flawless as usual. Hopefully, Zen would understand that Jumin was only messing with him.

**ZEN** : Wr-what?! Mirror. I need a mirror!

**-Zen Has Left-**

Or not.

**Jaehee** : I refuse to believe Zen has a wrinkle on his face. 

**Saeyoung** : I think I can make it happen… 

**Jaehee** : If you're going to photoshop Zen with wrinkles, then I'd rather you keep that to yourself. 

**Saeyoung** : What? I can't hear you. The messenger is going out! 

**Jaehee** : What in the world are you talking about? 

**Saeyoung** : B..let….k! 

****-Saeyoung Has Left-** **

**Jaehee** : He came on to make a ruckus and then left immediately after. 

**Jaehee** : I need a cup of coffee. Farewell everyone. 

****-Jaehee has left-** **

**Yoosung** : Anyway, what are you two going to do with your free time? Eunji? Jumin? 

**Eunji** : After all of that talk about Akihabara, I think I want to go. Is that alright? 

**Jumin** : Certainly. Shall we meet in the living room in a half hour? 

**Eunji** : That sounds perfect. See you soon. 

**Jumin** : Well then. 

****-Jumin has left-** **

****

****

**Yoosung*** : I hope you have fun! Please visit the LOLOL shop for me. I'll be there in spirit. T_T 

**Eunji** : I'll get you something cool! I'm just excited to actually absorb the fact that I'm here. 

****Yoosung*** : I'm happy for you, Eunji.**

**Yoosung*** : Eer, I have to get going. My professor is calling. I wonder what he wants. 

**Eunji** : Good luck, Yoosung! 

**Saeran** : See you. 

**Yoosung*** : Bye buds! 

****-Yoosung has left-** **

Just a half hour to get ready? Oh god, what should she wear? What did anyone wear when they were about to either confess to their sweetheart or get turned down? She was new to all of this, tumbling through this love thing like a toddler taking her first steps. Looking back on these past few days, where she was able to girlishly pretend that they were living together, she knew that she had to keep going. She couldn't lose the possibility of always being with Jumin Han. A faint sound from the phone still clutched in her right hand brought her attention back down to the screen. 

**Saeran** : Umm, Eunji 

**Eunji** : What's wrong, Saeran? 

**Saeran** : I need to call you real quick. It's about _that_. 

About…oh. A clump of putrid coal formed in her chest. Why was Saeran telling her now of all days? Whatever the consequences, she had agreed to help him, and by helping Saeran, she was helping Jumin, too. She gulped. 

**Eunji** : Shoot, okay. I'm ready to answer. 

The ringing of her phone only lasted a couple of seconds when Eunji swiped the green 'take call' button and held the phone to her ear. She wasn't given the chance to say anything when Saeran's calm, soft voice greeted her ear. 

"I dug deeper." 

Eunji began to bite the nail of her left pointer finger. She trotted over to her bathroom and sat down on the closed toilet lid. Somehow, sitting on the toilet while listening to potentially bad news always calmed her. 

"And? What did you find?" 

"At first, I thought that Jumin was upset because Yoosung and Zen sent Rika to a rehabilitation center. I thought he was filing something to get her to be punished. I don't blame him. I also want to see her meet her dues, but at the same time, I want her to feel better like I do." 

"Saeran…" So Rika was somewhere at a rehabilitation center. Eunji wondered if Rika was receiving the aid she needed. There were some tough demons Rika had to battle, and she couldn't do it alone. Why would Jumin be angry that Rika was getting help? Maybe others would think Jumin would demand retribution for what Rika had done, but Eunji knew that deep down, Jumin was only hurt. Even a Jumin in pain would desire for his friends to be treated well, no matter what. Was it really that difficult for others to see what she saw? 

"Anyway, I think Jumin already knows. I think Saeyoung already told him right from the start." 

"Then, something else is up, huh?" 

She heard a shaky intake of air from the other line. Her body reacted to Saeran's obvious displeasure, her muscles tightening and skin prickling. She'd need a five minute shower to cast off the nervous sweat on her back. 

"I…found out something. There were, are, medical charts on V. Eunji, I cracked the codes from C&R itself. They're hiding something. I'm not sure if Jumin was covering something up or his father or someone else completely unrelated." 

"It's something to do with V." Her mouth went completely dry. She could barely croak out her answer. Why would C&R need medical charts on V? The little homage to V in her apartment, the prints of the photographs he took, flashed behind her eyes. He passed away two years ago. Moreover, Saeran was the one who pulled the trigger ending the man's life. Eunji understood that this news would upset Saeran. After all, he was researching what was bothering Jumin in order to redeem himself for taking V away from Jumin. But now…what could all of this mean? Why would Jumin or the people from C&R hide vital information from the RFA concerning V? A dark cloud loomed over her, chilling the woman to her very marrow. 

"Saeran, will you be okay?" 

"I, I think so. I want to confirm a few things. I thought you may want to know because…" 

There was a deep pause where all Eunji could hear was the sound of Saeran taking long, gulping breathes. When he spoke next, his voice was watery, as if he were in the middle of a sob. 

"I feel bad for Jumin, but Eunji, this is big. Please be careful. You're a really good friend to me, and I don't want you hurt. I don't want you hurt at all." 

Hurt? Eunji didn't know why Saeran would draw that conclusion. In truth, she felt the safest when she knew Jumin was nearby. No matter what revelation Saeran gave her, when she was with Jumin, she knew she was home. 

"Saeran, I'll be fine. Thank you. I trust Jumin. Completely." 

"So, it's like that, huh?" Saeran whispered. 

"Like what?" 

"Nothing. It doesn't matter." Saeran cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'll find out more. Just stay safe, okay?" 

"Thank you, Saeran." 

The phone line went dead. 

Eunji stared at the device in her hand, her hazel eyes glazing over in thought. There was only fifteen minutes until she went to Akihabara with Jumin, and suddenly everything had changed. Just a while ago, she was worried about what she should wear so that she may confess to Jumin Han. But now, how should she react to this news? What should she take away from it? Would she only just be pushing unwanted feeling onto Jumin when there was something more important that could be filling his thoughts? 

She jumped into the shower, quickly scrubbing at her scalp and red hair with shampoo. The hot water did nothing but make her flush, and she needed to evacuate the bathtub in get back into the cool air of the bathroom. Less than seven minutes to dress, brush her hair, and slap on makeup. She'd been through worse. Just some simple dark blue jeans, sparkling sandals, and a white blouse would do. She almost brushed mascara over her cheek in her haste, but she had completed her transformation just in time. 

"Eunji, are you ready?" Came the calm voice on the other side of her door. 

"Y-yes!" Eunji staggered over to her door and clenched her fists. What kind of face should she put on? Oh, gosh. Why did Saeran tell her now? She was a problem solver, and it drove her crazy not knowing what exactly it was she had to solve. Eunji turned the door knob, revealing the man behind. 

Just like that, all of her worry, anxiety, doubt—take any troublesome word one could think of—was bled swiftly away. 

Jumin wore a form fitting, purple cotton button down shirt that was neatly tucked into black dress pants. The pants ended in, out of all the shoes in the world, black sneakers. He had styled his dark hair into the irresistible I-just-got-of-bed-but-my-hair-is-still-perfect style. His gray-silver eyes glimmered when he looked down on her. What she saw on his face rooted her to the spot. 

Adoration. 

Jumin peered from under his lashes, his mouth slightly parted, with a light dusting of pink upon the bridge of his nose. He was studying her, she could tell, from the tip of her nose down to her painted toe nails. He stood with a stiffness one could only describe as being awkward, and the fact that the next CEO of C&R was acting like a teenage boy produced a giggle that escaped her lips. She laughed, her soft voice ringing clear. The open line of Jumin's mouth curved, and he too chuckled along with her. His eyes crinkled and chest moved with that laugh, which in turn made Eunji laugh harder. They both laughed at this untold joke, sharing in this moment of bliss. 

_I'll still tell him tonight._ Eunji promised herself as Jumin lightly touched her shoulder to indicate he was ready to leave. _Because if I don't tell him, I'd hate myself forever. If I don't tell him, I won't be able to be part of his life._ They walked over to the exit side by side, still laughing. _I want everything. The good and bad. So no matter what—V, Rika, Saeran—I'll be there for him. For Jumin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the characters act accordingly, I’m sensing at least four more chapters left. Again, that’s if the characters behave. Until next time!


	16. The Call

Eunji and Jumin set off to Akihabara with Driver Kim. Jumin had made sure to rent his own limo and transport the driver along with the duo, insisting that the way Driver Kim manipulated a car was the only way Jumin would ride in a vehicle. Eunji couldn't help but let her excitement crawl and settle into her limbs. This was it. She was actually in Japan. Her lifetime dream existing right in front of her eyes. She was close to hyperventilating, trying to bottle up her pure ecstasy as not to frighten the man sitting right next to her, that she could very well explode. As opposed to the last time they sat together in limo, Jumin had chosen the seat to Eunji's immediate left. Eunji yearned to look at him and revel in their closeness, but she did not want to overdo it. Instead, she busied herself by fixing her attention on the bustle outside of the limo.

They left Driver Kim to his devices once they arrived in the ever bright portion of Tokyo. Driver Kim waved goodbye, and they both watched as the limo was swallowed whole by the ever moving foot traffic. Overcome by the possibilities presented before her, Eunji reached back and took Jumin's hand, not stopping to consider her actions due to her child-like excitement. His hand was larger than hers and soft like he had just rubbed olive oil lotion onto his skin. His hand was strong and warm, and Eunji's heart kept her from brooding on knee jerk reaction of grabbing before thinking. Eunji was afraid to look back at Jumin to gage his expression. But then his hand slowly closed around hers until it was so tight, she didn't think they'd ever be separated.

"Come on! I see a cafe we could go to!" Eunji squeaked. She weaved through the swarming tourists, business men and women, workers, and school children. One man talking on his phone nearly crashed into Eunji. Jumin hurriedly used his free arm to pull Eunji to his chest. The man on his phone jolted from his cellular conversation, looked up, and apologized to Eunji. She waved at him with no hurt feelings, and attempted to continue on their path to the café. She couldn't move. Jumin held onto her tight, laying his chin on her head.

"Jumin?" She ventured to ask.

"Your hair smells nice. Like flowers."

"T-Thank you."

"There's nothing to thank me for. I am merely stating a fact."

"Do you, uh, want to go to the café?"

"If you want to, yes."

Eunji tentatively parted from Jumin, once again taking him to their destination. The sensation of his body next to hers would not go away, and she wondered if she should have just stayed like that. She also pondered what had gotten into Jumin today. There was the blush from earlier, his need to be close, and now the hair comment. Was he feeling alright?

Jumin and Eunji attended the café, which turned out to have a theme based on one of Eunji's secret favorite animes; Saiyuke. Well, it wasn't much of a secret now. Once Eunji saw that the waiters and waitresses were garbed in the clothes of the much loved characters and that the food was character driven, she almost let the little girl within her free. Actually, no, she did do that. Eunji pointed out every character to Jumin; "That guy in the light yellow robes? That guy is named Sanyo. Oh! There's Gohu and Hakbye! Did you see, Jumin? The ice cream is mint chocolate chip for the character, Hakbye, too. And the red sherbet drink is for Gojye. It feels like I'm talking to my favorite characters in real life!" Jumin politely nodded, his face a mask of serenity as he watched her ramble on. The tiniest of smiles upon his lips was never wiped away.

They then left the café to locate the LOLOL merchandise store for Yoosung. Eunji bought a keychain depicting an armored avatar that she noticed Yoosung used as his profile picture multiple times. Afterwards, they found the Electric Town. There were all sorts of high tech goodies that Eunji wasn't sure what to make of. She snapped a few pictures of a couple gadgets and sent the results to Saeyoung. He replied with a photoshopped picture of Zen with multiple layers of wrinkles under his gleaming red eyes. The photo was sent in the messenger. Eunji had to forcefully shove her phone into her pocket to avoid the resulting conflict from Jaehee and Zen.

"Would you like to go dress as an anime character?" Eunji inquired once they wandered away from the blinking lights of technology and advertisements.

"As in cosplay?"

"Yup!"

"I have always wanted to try cosplay. There seems to be a boutique across the street catering to the genre, as well."

"Ooo, how convenient! Let's go, Jumin!" Again, she grabbed his hand without thinking, crossing the bustling street to the very shop Jumin pointed out. There were signs posted on the wide windows of satisfied customers with magical wands, cat ears, glorious capes, and other props. The entire outside of the building was a bright, pink eyesore with blue cupcakes painted as if they were falling down from a great height. Maybe yellow would have worked better for the exterior? All well. Eunji pushed the double doors open and was greeted by rows of television screens displaying the different cosplay material their guests could use and the corresponding prices.

"Wow, I think I have to dress up like Sailor Luna. It's kind of been a girlhood dream of mine."

"I am not too familiar with Japanese animation," Jumin said as if he almost regretted his lack of anime knowledge, "but I will find something as well."

"Alright. I'll meet you out here when you're done dressing up." Eunji walked over to the attendant, asking her if she could buy the Sailor Luna package. With her clothing and magical Luna staff in tow, Eunji disappeared into her dressing room. She faintly heard the Jumin's muffled clothing request from the other side of the door.

Yes, she was having fun despite the news about V. Actually, this was awfully close to being the time of her life. Except for one minor detail. Jumin did not seem to be having the same type of fun she was. At the café, he merely seemed to be humoring her. While walking, she would point out the places she'd only seen online, and he'd faintly nod. Electric Town did nothing to perk Jumin's curiosity. And now she was sure that she had forced the Director of C&R into a cosplay shop that he wanted no part of. Well, maybe he wasn't particularly being forced to do any of this. It was just that he seemed to be, hmn, well, not all there. Like his mind was on something else altogether. He kept lifting his wrist to check his watch, and when he wasn't glueing his eyes to watch faces, he was tapping his shoes like an impatient cartoon character. Did he have something else planned for the night?

Eunji let out a deep seated sigh and dressed in the white and blue sailor suit that used to sound like a good idea. Now, she wasn't sure if she had the capability to have fun in her. When she left the dressing room, an assistant came over to her and quickly twisted her red hair into the bulky hairstyle of Sailor Luna. Eunji was basically a magical girl without the spark of magic. Soon after, Jumin emerged from his own dressing room. Honestly, Eunji wouldn't have been a good choice for a magical girl. She was already blown away by Jumin's outfit choice, and so any resulting alien battles would have been completely lost thereafter.

"I chose this cosplay from something called, Hakuouke. Are you familiar with the, 'anime?'" Jumin was adorned in a traditional Edo Period style. His hakama was purple and pants black. Jumin wore white socks slit so that the big toe was separated from the others and could safely fit the straw sandals set snuggly on his feet. There was a fake short sword trapped to his narrowed waist, and someone had the brilliant idea to put a long haired black wig on Jumin's head. The whole attire fit Jumin to a T. Eunji shuddered inwardly. Yes, she knew of the anime character he was impersonating. He was from a famous otome game girls played with on their phones. The game was so popular, it spawned its own anime and various movie spin offs.

"You are very handsome dressed like that." Dang it. She let it slip. But then again, she was not trying to keep her attraction a secret any longer. She gulped and nodded, clutching her magical Luna staff tighter as if to ground her statement. Jumin peered under his lashes, observing her.

"Appropriately so. I was born with a good physique."

_Someone is surprisingly sounding like Zen…_

"You are also very gorgeous in your outfit." Jumin's gray gaze passed from her blue boots, to her navy skirt, to the dip at her chest were a brooch sat, and up to her heated face. Eunji had to check if she was still wearing clothes, because the way Jumin's once over of her went made her feel especially exposed. Jumin's lips parted. "Except."

"Except what?" Her heart thundered in her ears. Jumin shifted, his outfit clinking from the movement. He walked over to her, not once breaking eye contact.

"I'd dress you in something more formal. A floor length ball gown the shade of chocolate trimmed with feathery lace. Strapped matching high heels. Your hair pinned into a crown of shining braids. Your neck adorned with black diamonds. A small brown clutch at your side." He was staring at her as if he had peeled off every article of her clothing and replaced them with his intended fantasy. Were her knees shaking? Wasn't she suppose to be the one to initiate this sort of thing tonight?

"You've, uh, really thought this through, huh?" She really needed something a drink.

"I enjoy fashion and interior design. Sometimes I am unable to help myself." An innocent enough remark, and yet he was still staring at her. Why did that sentence feel as if it were jam packed with a different meaning than intended? One with a dark, sensual promise.

"Would you have gone into a fashion profession if you weren't set on being the CEO of C&R?" Eunji had to keep talking, or she would surely go into starstruck mode and ramble on about anime or sci-fi movies again.

"Perhaps. That is an endearing choice." He drew out the words 'endearing choice' far too long. Why did she feel like she were a cornered mouse and he the cunning cat? "If I were not born into the C&R family, I still would have a drive to achieve my goals. In any lifetime, when I see something I want, nothing will get in the way. And Eunji, I want many many things." His eyes flashed silver, and an almost devilish smirk played on his lips. That smirk alone completed the cosplay of his character, a demon samurai.

Eunji was wrong. Jumin was not bored during their excursion into Akihabara today. Oh no. He was saving something for her, and she had a feeling she would like that something. Like it a lot.

Jumin and Eunji were driven to the hotel thanks to the services of Driver Kim. The man was somehow able to cut through the crowd like hundreds of people were the least of his worries. A new, exciting tension clouded the passengers, who were in their regular clothes once more and completely silent. An album was tucked into Eunji's demon backpack filled with the pictures they took of their cosplay. When they arrived at their hotel, Eunji's personal bus boy tried help her bring up the shopping bags hooked around her arms. She told him she could handle the load, leaving the poor man to droop at his post. It must be boring being her bus boy. Jumin opened the door to their conjoined living area, and Eunji was greeted by an amazing sight.

_So this is what Jumin was waiting for today._

"I've ordered a meal suited for a princess." Jumin took her hand, taking her over to a table laden with decant dishes. He pulled out her chair, and she sat, still open mouthed at what was before her. There was a centerpiece of perfectly cut and arranged forget-me-nots with baby's breath artfully arranged to center that white petals of the blue flowers. She did not know there was surround sound in the living room, but the soft and soothing melodies of violas and cellos proved otherwise. The night's landscape of Tokyo served as the best lit backdrop to accompany the meal. Jumin sat at the other side of the table, reaching for a wine bottle and pouring them two glasses. "I understand that you enjoy sweet foods, and so I made sure to order the sweetest of wines for our dinner, Egon Müller."

"Jumin, that wine is almost 600,000 won per bottle!" She clasped a hand to her chest. That was way too much to spend for the night. But then again, she hadn't looked to closely at the food yet.

"I was able to get a discount of 1,000,000 won for two bottles, so it was a little less than your estimate. I am glad you know your wines, however." He smiled a clever, knowing smile. "Please, do enjoy your meal. This is all for you tonight."

Eunji blinked and stared down at the almost gleaming plates of food.

_Oh dear God._

In front of her was the most expensive and outrageous meal she could have ever asked for. Scratch that. She never would have willingly requested any of this. There were the choice cuts of toro, the highest grade of meat taken from the underside of a blue tuna, laying placidly on a bed of greens and brown sauce. The price of toro fluctuated depending on the market, but one must always be assured that if you want to eat toro, you better be ready for months of empty pockets afterwards. There were yubari king melons sold in a pair, sliced into symmetrical, bite sized pieces and mixed with densuke black watermelon from Hokkaido. In a soft cream were ruby roman grapes from the Ishikawa Prefecture. Wagyu beef, the world wide loved meat, was the main dish braised with steaming matsutake mushrooms. To top it off, there were glasses of Nakazawa Milk over ice. Eating this meal would be like eating three of her paychecks. She was almost afraid to take a bite. And yet, Jumin _did_ get this for her.

"Umm, did you by chance look at a list of the most expensive dishes to buy at Japan and get them?" She lifted a glass of the Egon Müller wine to her lips. The rich, bold flavor washed within her mouth, burning her throat when she swallowed. Yes, that certainly was refreshing, but why Jumin had gone through the trouble for her sake was lost on her. Jumin picked at the toro meat with a pair of chopsticks and stuck the morsel into his mouth. He delicately chewed the meat, swallowed, wiped his mouth, and then stared intently at her.

"No, I asked Assistant Kang to do that." He, too, drank his wine, giving Eunji ample time to silently apologize to the over-worked Jaehee. "I find that there is usually merit in food with higher prices." He ate a piece of the black watermelon. An avid fruit lover, Eunji also could not resist popping a ruby roman grape into her mouth. And then another. And another. Goodness, maybe Jumin was right. All of the dishes she tasted were top grade. So much so that she felt like she was at a table in the land of faerie partaking of forbidden foods designed to ensnare mortals. Well, she was ensnared alright, but not by the food.

"Sometimes a home cooked meal made with love can be just as delicious as the top quality steak," Eunji said as a way to distract herself. She thought of her mother's mochi and grilled hamburgers. Only those dishes could compete with what she ate now. Jumin paused after he washed the wagyu beef down with a swig of the wine.

"I would have to agree." He placed a hand on a silver bowl. The contents of the bowl were a mystery due to the matching silver lid placed over the surface. Jumin removed the lid, and Eunji had to peer over the mountains of overpriced food to see that inside the bowl was a pink, soupy concoction. "I attempted to reproduce the cherry soup that you often make for me. I ordered the highest quality of cherries from the from the cherry farm I spoke to you of. I had my nutritionalist recommend the type of heavy cream I should use. I ordered the finest sugar cane from Costa Rica to use as the sweetener." Jumin scowled at the bowl and covered the reproduced cherry soup with the silver lid. "But it would seem as though you are the only one fit to make this dish for me. Eunji, you are the only one."

Something told her that this wasn't about soup.

"How were you able to say all of that with a straight face?" She nervously looked to the side, feeling the adrenaline spike within her blood.

"Yes. I borrowed that body pillow depicting an image of yourself." Eunji's head whipped up.

"W-w-what?!"

"I spoke to it in order to produce a natural calm when dealing with these strange emotions I have concerning you. Is that not the purpose of a body pillow? To speak to the undressed person to thereupon gain the charismatic strength to converse with one another? Is it not the true form of 'think of the audience in their undergarments.'" He sipped his wine, the red briefly stained his mouth red until his licked the moisture from his lips. She wanted to kiss those lips clean herself.

"Well, that is one way to use body pillows," she said, almost rasping out the words. The last thing she wanted to do right now was eat. "I think I'm done with dinner for now." She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin and stood.

"What are the other ways?" Jumin also stood up, crossing the room to face her. Heat poured off of him, slamming into her with an unexpected force.

"Umm…wha?" Was the only brilliant answer she could come up with.

"What other ways have you used that body pillow of mine? The one I first saw you with." His voice was still cool and even. His vernacular was steady. Everything was calm. But the pure electric lightning strike of power crashing from his silver eyes and careening into her was nothing but stoic. Looking at Jumin was like steering a ship into the perfect storm.

"I-I-I, eer." She was beyond sweaty now. She was the embodiment of a shudder.

"Do you sleep with it in your bed? Do you hold it close to your body, you arms wrapped around its neck, your face pressed to the fabric?"

"Well, you s-s-see," she tried to say something. Anything. She was Perseus and he was her Medusa, turning her body into stone as he moved closer and closer still. Was her back really against a wall? Was this some sort of anime or shojo manga? Eunji gulped, her throat achy and dry. The pit of her stomach was on fire. Jumin's body was pressed on hers, and she could feel everything that Jumin had to offer. Suddenly, she was no longer a grown adult, but a hormone crazed preteen.

"I never once thought that I would be, what is this, ah, jealousy. I never thought I would be jealous of a pillow, and yet here we are." He lowered his head, the scent of freshly tailored cloth beating down upon her. He was hot. She was hot. Something had to be done to break this thickly strung tension. Jumin brushed his nose and then the tips of his soft lips along the shell of her ear. His hard breathes assuaged her hearing. She bit her lip to keep from trembling. What did one do with their hands in this type of situation? Eunji slipped her palms up his chest to rest on his shoulders. Her simple touch seemed to break the fairy spell, and Jumin pulled away. Eunji gasped as if cold water had been thrown onto her.

"My apologies. I was impolite. There is something I wish to discuss before I, well. I have something to ask you." He backed away and straightened the collar of his shirt. He may have moved his body, but the promise of something primal still lingered in his eyes.

"Okay," Eunji replied absently. She allowed Jumin to guide her to the couch she liked to take power naps on. They sat side by side, still charged with the potential of something more. Something that involved less clothes. Eunji gripped the couch's cushion, trying to snap out of whatever enchantment Jumin had cast on her. Dang it, the man knew how to seduce.

"My question is, what do you plan on doing now?"

"What do you mean?" Talk about coming from the left field. At last Eunji had practice in Jumin's attempt to change topics. She blinked, clearing most of the red mist of lust from her mind. She gave Jumin her full attention.

"Your mother's reports have come in. Barely two weeks into our agreement, and she has seen an increase of profit. You said that you could not come to Japan because of your funds. That you paid to upkeep her hotel. Well, what now? Do you stay at C&R or do you follow your dream?" He wouldn't look at her. This answer meant a lot to him, she could tell. His back was stiff, and his shoulders were hunched forward. His right hand tapped at his knee. Jumin was attempting to see if she would stay.

"I…have't really thought that I could ever achieve what I've done so far. I'm having trouble keeping up," she admitted.

"I could pay to move you to Japan. There is our sister C&R company in Osaka." He was giving her an opening to take her dream. One last chance to leave, perhaps?

"P-Pay for me?! No!"

"Why? I have the means. This is your opportunity."

"Jumin, this is my goal. I have to accomplish it my way. On my own. I'll continue working at C&R until I have enough money to move myself."

"Fascinating. You just aren't like other women I know. Or Rika." He turned, revealing a spark of hope and fear and pain all at once. Eunji felt a pang much like jealousy invade her heart.

"Did you…like Rika?"

"I fooled myself. I thought she knew the darkest parts of me and accepted that I wasn't perfect. I never thought of getting closer to her. She was V's fiancée after all." He shrugged. The shrug was so an un-Jumin like movement. Eunji understood that this topic was something he did not wish to talk about. And yet he continued for her benefit.

"I…see…"

"But then the whole mess from a couple years ago occurred. We all discovered that Rika was alive. That she herself was unable to accept her own darkness in a healthy manner. I know where Yoosung and Zen took her after that catastrophe. It's all for the better."

"Jumin, I'm so sorry."

"And then there was Elizabeth the 3rd. She was a gift from Rika and V. I was unnaturally attached to the cat, hoping that she possessed the same ability as Rika to see my twisted thoughts and love me for it. Once I learned of V and Rika…I could not bare to look at Elizabeth the 3rd for a few days."

"That must have been painful." Eunji attempted to place her hand on Jumin's leg. A bold move, but he just looked so sad. So defeated. It was a side of him she had never seen before, and he was allowing her to witness his weakness. She couldn't help but reach out. He started from the contact, glanced at her, and permitted a small, pleased smile to spread upon his lips. Jumin touched her fingers, and then encompassed his entire hand over hers.

"After the third day, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't be the owner Elizabeth the 3rd needed me to be. I asked MC to take her for me. Heh, she gave me quite the lecture. Thanks to her wit, I realized that Elizabeth the 3rd was only a cat, but a cat that still needed me. I am her everything. How could I injure her like Rika and V injured me? And then I thought, well, I let them injure me. I believed in every word that they said out of blind loyalty."

"So you dove into work not only to provide for Elizabeth the 3rd, but because you were afraid someone else would hurt you if you trusted them."

"Yes, that is directly to the point."

"You've been in pain for so long."

"Eunji, I was in a literal daze for two years. I avoided my friends and family. I worked and then slept. Everything was monochrome. Everything was pointless until one day I ran into a beautiful woman who stole my phone and possessed a vulgar body pillow of my image."

"Still? I did not steal it." Jumin ignored her defense.

"For the first time in a long time, I became interested in…people. In that woman. Thankfully she was intelligent, cunning, self sufficient, and a cat lover. A perfect candidate for C&R." Everything was coming perfectly together now, and Eunji felt as though she were ready to jump from a into an abyss of possibility. "I wanted to trust in others again. To give all of my thoughts, hopes, and concerns to someone, and in return, she'd do the same for me." They both turned, and Jumin grasped both of Eunji's hands, his eager expression of desire heavy upon her.

"Eunji, only you can be that person. I want you and you alone."

"Jumin, I would like nothing more to be that person. You're the only one, too."

They grinned, both now pink with their giddy connection. Jumin leaned over and lightly brushed his soft lips over hers. This felt right. So very right. Eunji pressed into him, molding her torso to his as she deepened their kiss, needing more than a fanciful brush of skin. His arms snaked around her waist and then down to her hips, their lips wet and heated. He tasted so good, a combination of sweet wine and cherries. She wanted to devour him. To take off his buttoned shirt and trousers and socks. She wanted to touch his pale skin, to make him hers. Jumin Han actually wanted her. So this was what euphoria was like?

Jumin's pocket began to ring. He growled the low growl of a man being thwarted. The phone buzzed, the vibration and its angling making the device slip from Jumin's pocket, landing face up. Eunji saw the name on his phone's screen and pulled away. Jumin stared at her from half lidded bedroom eyes, and she immediately regretted her actions.

"You can get that. It must be important if Jaehee is calling," she said, her voice husky.

"Fine. We will continue where we left off, Eunji. No exceptions." He kissed her again, delivering a fiery promise, and then heatedly snatched his phone from the couch. He held the device up to his ear, still panting from his and Eunji's encounter.

"Assistant Kang, if this is not an emergency, then you might not receive that break I was speaking of." Jaehee's voice filtered into the air, muffled by distance. Jumin's face drained of blood. "What?! Are you sure?" A pause. He raked a hand through his hair, leaving some locks of black sticking straight up in odd directions. "Alright. I shall procure a private jet. Expect our arrival time within the day." He turned off his phone, glaring at the floor.

"Jumin, what' wrong?" Eunji placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I…he…" Jumin gulped as if he were drowning on the very air he breathed. He covered his face with his hands, attempting to calm his out of character reaction. As if gathering up something that was long broken, he let his hands drop, and he faced Eunji. "I suppose I should not hide anything from you. Trust is important. Especially if I wish to engage in a relationship with you. Eunji, V is alive. He's alive and he just woke up from a two year coma." He laughed an empty, heart breaking laugh. "I always did like soap operas. Now is our chance to live in one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! What name do you like more? Gemma, Landon, Sophie, Dalton. No reason. Totally not for future chapters. Nope….*whistles*


	17. Friends

Eunji and Jumin boarded the personal jet Jumin had sent for. Driver Kim would have no choice but to fly back in a commercial flight, but that was a detail saved for later. Eunji stuffed her packed belongings into the luggage rack and sat next to the flustered Jumin. She was warring with a sense of elation combined with a nervous anxiety. Her mind could not pick just one to focus on; that she and Jumin both felt the same way for each other, or how Jumin's thought to be dead friend had suddenly come back to life. Eunji knew that she should be worried for Jumin's well being, and promised to herself that she would save time for the pure joy of reciprocated feelings for later. Jumin needed her right now.

He occupied the window seat, his foot nervously tapping the floor in an irregular rhythm. Even as shocked as he was, the man managed to be handsome and beautiful all at once. His skin was pale and clear, his eyes a conflicted storm of silver and gray, and his black hair still moussed from running his hands through it. Eunji set her hand on his bare forearm. Jumin's skin was as frigid as marble left to soak in shadows.

"Jumin. What happened the night V supposedly died? I need to know. I want to help." She didn't know what types of words to use here. Was that too invasive? Would she close him off to her? Yet she held her ground, her mouth set in a firm line as she viewed Jumin's bare emotions change his face from pained, to nauseated, to exhausted. Jumin did not know how to handle such a vicious attack of feelings, and the confusion of the onslaught plainly showed.

"As you wish," he sighed. "If any one should judge my actions of that night, then it should be you." This came out barely as a whisper. His throat must be dry or scratched. Eunji slid her hand down his arm until she clasped his own frigid hand. He instinctively intertwined his fingers with hers.

"I'm not here to judge. I'm here to listen, and then I will be here with you."

A pregnant pause filled the air around them until Jumin's shoulders slumped. He opened his mouth.

"Saeran was completely unstable. He accidentally shot V. When my staff arrived, V was pronounced dead. And he was. He truly was." Jumin's words became choked, and he needed to pause to compose himself. This unkempt, barely put together side of Jumin scared Eunji. Something had broke within him. She held tighter onto his hand. He needed to talk this out, and when he was left without the comfort of his words buried inside him, Eunji would still hold his hand.

"But then, while in transportation, he suddenly gasped. It was bloodcurdling, wet, and truly terrifying. I have heard that sound every time I close my eyes to sleep at night." Jumin shook his head. "My friend was alive. My brutal, self sacrificing friend was alive. Assistant Kang and myself took him to a C&R facility where he wavered in and out of consciousness." Jumin's gaze went blank and cold. He was no longer seeing Eunji. He was back at the bedside of V on that terrible night. "When he awoke for the last time he told me 'Jumin, please do not tell anyone that I survived. I am not strong enough to keep going. If I have to be put on life support, please pull the plug. I do not deserve to keep living. Promise me.'"

"No. He asked you to let him die?" Tears creased the lines of her hazel eyes. Her heart felt as though the hand of an ice demon squeezed the organ until it froze and crumpled. Jumin wearily, raggedly sighed.

"Worse. He wanted my very hands to take his life away. I did not and would not promise him that. I said that I would not let others know that he lived. If he woke, then he needed to be the judge of his own life. Not me."

"And now he's awake," Eunji murmured more to herself than Jumin.

"He will most likely be angry with me. I let him live when he desperately did not want to."

"You did what you thought was morally right. He can't fault you for that." She squeezed his hand. "You're no killer." Jumin rolled his head over to properly see her. Eunji expected to witness the pain that was apparent in his words, but instead he had pulled in those torrent of emotions. His face was back to its natural calm. What he said next was a paradox to his newly reigned in demeanor.

"Eunji, I'm scared. Terrified, to be more accurate. Not just from V, but that members of the RFA will surely hate me. I kept a secret as terrible as V had with Rika's fake death."

"How can they really hate you? Yes, they'll be stunned and hurt. That's only. But you kept half a promise for your friend. He didn't want the RFA to know, and you did what you were told."

"Still…I yet again blindly and effortlessly trusted in V's words because he is my closest of friends." He held tighter onto Eunji's hand. His grip was beginning to become painful.

"Trusting a friend is not aa bad thing. Sure, there are limits. I believe that those limits are there to help protect both friends from becoming too lenient and hurting one another." Again, Eunji wondered if she was saying the right thing. She was also piecing together Jumin's friendship with V and giving the man beside her the advice she would give herself in a situation like this. Whether Jumin listened or if the advice itself was beneficial, only time would tell.

"I know that it's not worth much, but Jumin, I'm here with you. Whether the RFA or V accept your choices or not, I'll be right by your side. For whatever it is you need." Eunji took a chance, leaning to the side until she was resting side by side with Jumin. He let go of her hand, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. He was so cold, it was as if he was an open door to the Antarctic. Eunji put her free arm around his side, attempting to siphon off her heat to him. Jumin rested his chin on top of her head, snuggling closer to her. This closeness felt so right.

"That is where you are wrong, Eunji. Knowing that you're with me is worth the entire world, no, the whole universe to me."

They landed safely whereupon Jaehee met the two at the airport. She was completely white, her face framed by newly grown dark bangs. There were no documents glued to her arms today. Her eyes were puffy and red, making her gold irises blaze with intensity. The assistant glanced at Eunji, her eyebrows raised. Jumin nodded. Jaehee let out a pained breath and herded the two into an awaiting taxi. During the entire ride to this unknown destination, Jumin kept his hand interlocked with Eunji's. She ignored the passing morning scenery of buildings, parks, and city goers, keeping her attention fully on Jumin. Jaehee now and then peered behind her shoulder from the passenger seat up front, the concern plain on her features.

After at least a half hour's traveling time, the taxi stopped in front of a normal in appearance hospital. The three disembarked, walking down the cement side walk up to the set of rotating doors leading in and out of the facility. The stench of hospital (medicine, food, sickness, pain, healing) permeated the atmosphere, making Eunji slightly light headed. She was usually alright with hospitals unlike most people, but she found that under the current situation, the hospital seemed more oppressive than usual. Darker. More menacing. Jaehee's heels clacked against the tan tiled floor as they bypassed the clerks at the front desk, passed a few hallways, and to a room door that required a key card to open. She turned to Jumin, her pale pink lips pulled down in a grimace.

"He's been up for thirteen hours and coherent for about six of them. I thought you should know now that his sight is still completely gone. I naively hoped for his eyes to recover, but I should have known better from the doctor's first prognosis. That V would remain irreversibly blind."

"I know. I hoped as well," Jumin said. "We will deal with the circumstances together when the time comes."

"Well, I'll let you go in. V asked for you many times."

"Eunji, I need you to come in with me. Please." He did not look at Eunji, only held her hand in his firm grip.

"I told you, silly. I'm here with you. Always."

Jaehee's eyebrows rose, and she stepped away from the door after passing her key card into the slot. A small smile rested on her lips despite the grim situation.

Both Jumin and Eunji walked into V's room.

When Eunji's father was first diagnosed with cancer, Eunji had foolishly dismissed the sentence. After all, so many people could overcome the disease now-a-days. She was sure that her father, her strong and confident father, would beat cancer down to its proper place. He first underwent the surgery to remove the tumor. He joked over and over that he would create a shrine for the lump in order to remind his cancer that he had beat it. The radiation he partook of after took his gleaming, luscious black hair and the toned muscles in his arms. Still, he ruffled Eunji's hair, telling her that he knew that being bald made him more handsome. Cheryl would run her fingers along his smooth cranium and would tell him that he was her personal gem.

Her father never got better. His entire body was tired. Run down. He wasn't able to maintain the upkeep of Akatsuki Ryokan. The shrubs became overgrown. The hot springs clogged with twigs and moss. Customers began to complain of the hotel's lack of cleanliness. Cheryl begged her husband to let her hire some help, but his pride was at hand, and he refused. He still tried. Tried and tried until he collapsed and was taken to the hospital. It was there that the doctors discovered that the cancer, despite the radiation and medicine and her father's strength, had spread into his lungs. He was given two weeks to live. Just two weeks. How scared, how terrified was he?

Eunji's last memory of her father was not of of his hands crafting a wooden statue or of hanging from the tiled roof tossing fruit to her to catch. Her last memory was of a skinny, bony man in a hospital bed hooked up to a machine with his heart monitored, beep, beep, beep. He told her to follow her dream. To not hold back. To not let him be her ghost.

She'd spent the last three years making sure to honor her father. He had not become her ghost.

However, V had become Jumin's.

"Jumin?" Asked the figure set in an upright position on the hospital bed. The figure was a man, a little older than Jumin. Eunji saw that Jumin had spent much time and money in keeping the man comfortable. His soft mint colored hair was perfectly trimmed, his nails clipped, and skin scrubbed clean. Although she could tell that staff must come in to work the man's arms and legs to keep his muscles from succumbing to atrophy, the man was small and frail boned like an old man. Jumin let go of Eunji's hand to stand close to V's bedside, delicately touching V's shoulder.

"Yes, V. It is I."

"I'm so glad. So very glad. I can't see anything, but I can hear you. You and another." The frail V turned his head, his milky white eyes landing directly on Eunji. A chill ran down her spine despite already knowing of V's blindness.

"V, do you know how long you were asleep?" Jumin asked, steering the talk from Eunji. She clasped her hands hard, knowing how difficult this reunion was for Jumin.

"I do. Jaehee was here when I came to." V attempted to pass a small hand over his hair, discovered he was too weak, and let his hands rest palms up on his knees. "Jumin, has it really been two years?"

"Yes, my friend." Jumin's voice was surprisingly strong. He was trying to be the rock V needed.

"Rika? Is she…how is she?" This came as a hoarse whisper. V's throat had grown rough without using it for two years.

"I have not personally seen her since that terrible day, but I have been told by reliable sources that she has been doing fine. Most likely she will need to stay in rehabilitation for a while yet. Quite possibly for the remainder of her life."

"Rehabilitation…this has been all my fault. I couldn't be who she needed me to be. I couldn't protect the RFA. I was, am, a failure." V bent over, biting his bottom lip. Eunji blinked away her tears, unable to separate her father's frail form from V's. She wanted to tell Jumin's friend that he had so many possibilities. That a failure is someone who gives up. She could tell from V's struggle to protect his friends and that even though he thought self sacrifice was the only avenue, those actions alone meant that he did not want to give up. He was no failure. The time she had spent at C&R with her old and new friends had taught her this much.

"V, did you really awaken after two years to be this hard on yourself?" Jumin nearly growled.

"I thought. I thought I asked you not to keep me on life support. I asked you to let me go. Why? Why didn't you let me peacefully die? Why couldn't you let me go? I'm not worth any of this!" V had meant to shout, but he was simply unable to express the volume he needed.

"You…" Jumin's voice cracked as if his throat was caught on a sob. Eunji padded up to him, getting closer to the man on the hospital bed.

"Jumin, here. Hold my hand."

"Thank you, Eunji." He gripped onto her, and she knew that she was now the one to anchor Jumin from drifting away on his torrent of grief. Jumin looked at his friend on the bed. "V, I kept to all of my promises. I did not force you to save your eyes. I kept quiet about the incident with Rika. When you asked me to wait for your answers, I waited. Please forgive me for not keeping a promise to kill my best friend." V flinched as if he was slapped. A flicker of hesitation flashed over Jumin's features. Eunji squeezed his hand, and a mask of determination replaced the initial pause.

"V, I know that you are still weak. That you only just woke up. But you need to understand this in order to want to become healthy again. Your good intentions for others only smothered who you were inside. You were so focused on sacrifice, you didn't realize that you yearned to be free and accepted."

"Jumin, I do not deserve to be freed. I destroyed Rika. I kept important matters from my friends. I failed at what everyone expected me to be."

"I do not want to hear any of that. That's simply enough," Jumin snapped. V whipped his head over as if to look at his friend, who probably never used such a harsh tone with his friend before."Let me fill you in on what has happened the past two years."

"Saeyoung and MC were wed. Saeyoung has never been so open and honest since they exchanged their nuptials. MC is due to have their first child in a couple of months. They have opened a knick knack shop consisting mostly of toys."

"Pregnant? Oh, Luciel…" The merest tatters of a grin graced V's features, but disappeared just as quickly.

"Saeran, that child has overcome the worst of his past. It was a difficult path, and yet he is strong and consistent. He is only capable of a part time job as a gardener now, but the time he spends using his hands and heart has produced the most wonderful landscape anyone could imagine." Jumin's voice was gradually gaining in strength and vigor, rumbling from his chest and through his mouth.

"Zen has starred in more musicals I can count and has appeared on the big screen more than that. The amount of ridiculous selfies I have had to endure is crushing me, and yet I am strangely proud that his dream is even nearer." He licked his lips, barely giving himself time to breath. Eunji scooted closer to him, sharing her presence.

"Yoosung has surpassed all of my expectations, although I expected as much. If he continues his ace performance, then I predict he will have his own veterinary clinic in another two years. He has learned the importance of free time versus hobbies." Still, Jumin's speech grew more loud and hurried as if he needed to let all of this go before he lost the nerve. No. As if he was desperately trying to talk his friend off of the proverbial bridge.

"Jaehee will be taking over as the Director of C&R, but that is not all. She has tried to keep this a secret, but I know she has opened an online coffee business that has been flourishing like I knew it would." Despite Zen's insistence that Jumin did not give the RFA the time of day for the past two years, it would seem as if he had. He was only to frightened to reach out.

"And I am to be the CEO of C&R," he said lightly. He paused, as if the wind blowing his sails had vanished. However, he said his next words with as much steel as he could muster. "But do you know what I did while all of this was occurring?"

"Jumin, I—"

"I wasn't there for them. I withdrew from their bright lives because I was afraid they may hurt me like you and Rika had done. No matter how much I trusted you, I was still damaged."

"I'm so sorry, Jumin. I'm so so"

"I don't want to hear your apologies!" Both V and Eunji jumped. Jumin had actually shouted. As in a growly, rough throated bark. She never heard Jumin's voice go above a polite insult. V sat tense under his thick cotton covers, waiting for what came next. "V, I too thought that I could not be saved. That I did not deserve the light and warmth of friendship and love. I was wrong, my friend." Jumin let go of Eunji's hand and gently pushed at the small of her back. "I want you to meet Eunji. She found me during my darkest of times, held out her hand, and I took it. V, I took it because she reminded me that everyone has the right to live and to love." Jumin and Eunji's eyes quickly met. Did he just say what she thought he did? Right now? That, oh goodness, that he loved her?

"After everything, after all the hurt, V, you are the one who deserves to be loved the most. Please, let all of us love you. Let you love you."

V moved uncomfortably in his bed, blinking away tears, and letting the salty droplets cut a path down his cheeks. The man was like a majestic, loved origami bird that had been crushed and thrown in the trash. V was small, and hurt, and probably felt so alone. Confused. He raggedly sighed, his whole chest creaking from the effort. "Do they know I'm alive?"

"Only Jaehee and Eunji."

"I think Saeran may know now, too," Eunji added shyly.

"How?" Jumin wondered.

"Hacking, of course."

"Will you tell the rest that I am alive?" V asked them.

"That will have to be your choice. Do you want to remain dead to them? Or do you want to start again, with everyone at your side?"

"Would you two please give me some time alone? I need some time to think. I'm also feeling a little faint." V must have heard Eunji's slight movements as he directed his blank eyes towards her. "Miss Eunji, I'm sorry that I couldn't properly introduce myself to you."

"No need to apologize. Something tells me we will have plenty of time to get to know one another."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, remember when this was labeled as comedy? Umm, whoops. Anyway, no one has voted for these names; Gemma, Landon, Sophie, Dalton. Should I choose one myself? Mwuaha!


	18. The Beginning

Jumin should have escorted Eunji to her apartment after what happened at the hospital with V. He should have kissed her knuckles, pulled her into a comforting hug, and left for the day to brood on his own. Thereupon, he should have waited patiently for Assistant Kang to collect Elizabeth the 3rd and Masako from Cheryl at Akatsuki Ryokan. However, Jumin did not do any of this. Instead, he invited himself into Eunji's apartment and sat on her meager violet couch. The place where Eunji spent most of her time concocting food, napping in her bed, and petting her favored cat now seemed more like a home than his penthouse. Of course, if he managed to move Eunji into his penthouse, he assumed he'd feel the same there as he did right now. Eunji sat next to Jumin. Their hips touched, and he could feel her heat pooling off of her to settle upon him. Yes, home indeed.

"I have been inconsiderate of you, Eunji," he was able to say. There. It was out. The times where he admitted that he was wrong were few, but he prided himself in claiming the few misguided conclusions he caused. This was one of them, and Eunji needed to know of his regret.

"What nonsense are you trying to tell me? How the heck have you been inconsiderate?" The sound of her sweet voice washing over him was like being purified with water from a temple. He closed his eyes, shielding her from his sight. If he saw her now, with soft pink lips, those enchanting eyes the shade of both the ocean and a forest, and hair as red as the sunset—he'd surely become greedy and forget all about chivalry. He'd pin her to this very couch and…no, best not let the imagination consume him. Jumin cleared his suddenly parched throat.

"I expressed my feelings towards you without ever having the intention of telling you about V. That was the wrong first step in our relationship." No, it was worse than that. He needed to tell her now or else his twisted, tangled soul would never offer this chance again. "In fact, if it weren't for V's well timed revival, I am not sure if I would have been brave enough to tell anyone. Most of all you."

Eunji crossed her legs, pondering her response. He wanted to dress her in the finest of spider woven silks, cast rubies and crystals into her hair, and make sure she wanted for nothing. Jumin knew that Eunji would want none of that. She was self sufficient, and as he researched, being in a relationship meant respecting other's wishes no matter how much the other party desired to keep the other shut away from others' eyes. He was a gentleman, after all.

"I can't fault you for it entirely. The RFA did need to know about V's survival. His father. His other friends. V was selfish for asking you such a thing. And you, Mr. Han, are a stubborn rock when it comes to loyalty." Jumin felt a warm palm cup his cheek, and despite his attempts to keep his eyes closed, he could not bare to miss the expression on her face. Eunji was like an angel. His angel. Or a princess sent to save the prince. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying earlier that day, and the hair around her face was limp from the lack of bathing for two days straight. He knew of her troubles with sweat and the tubes of deodorant she bought at the airport before leaving. And yet, she was the most beautiful and captivating creature had had the honor of seeing. Of speaking with. Of kissing. He gulped and watched her pink lips part. "No more secrets. Not even mercy secrets. Some truth may be painful, but required."

"You are so forgiving…" Thank God he was still able to keep his tone even when all he wanted was to kiss this woman. To kiss her until the past few days were eradicated from his thoughts.

"Not forgiving. Just reasonable. I'll tell you now, if there are any hidden secrets in the future this massive, well, I'll kick you to the curb." He couldn't help but chuckle at that, recalling how they both fell near a curb on their first meeting.

"Reasonable. I shall later draw up a contract dictating that we will not withhold important life functions from each other."

"Uh, a contract?"

"I was going to propose a marriage contract, but understood that we have only just now confessed to one another. I am aware that there is a proper order to these sort of relations." Jumin had been awake for almost two full days. It was a wonder in itself that he was able to use the brain capacity needed to relate these feelings. Then again, Jumin could stay up for three days straight if needed at work. These past two soul crushing days were nothing like work. Eunji was able to rest on the jet, and yet Jumin sat in the aircraft, open eyed the entire journey. He wearily blinked, and even though it was entirely un-business like, Jumin yawned. Without thinking through the different options of his next action 100%, he leaned over and laid his head upon Eunji's lap. He felt the subtle flinch of her muscles until they eventually relaxed. Her delicate hand passed over his hair, and he came to the conclusion that this must be how Elizabeth the 3rd felt when she was stroked. What utter, blinding bliss.

"I want you to be mine forever. I shall not suffer any mistakes on my part from blindly rushing off to sweep you off of your feet."

"M-m-marriage," she stammered, still stuck on Jumin's previous line of thought. "That's a future thing, right?" Ah, he could hear the blush in her words. How adorable. Some cool air from Eunji's air conditioner blew a mighty gust, and Jumin snuggled more on Eunji's warm lap. If he were a cat, he would have curled up into a tight ball by now, kneading her legs with soft padded paws.

"Ultimately, yes." Jumin felt the remains of his consciousness begin to stammer. It would not be long until sleep decided to take him. "Until such an event, I want to savor each minute with you. You're mine, Eunji."

"Then, you're mine, too." Ah, that was so full of confidence. He grinned like an utter idiot, perhaps like Zen, before letting sleep claim him.

"Deal."

 **Eunji** : So yeah. It's been two weeks since that all happened. Sorry I haven't talked much. It's been hectic. I've been catching up on all of the work I've missed going to Japan, and then helping V. There's been barely any time to spend with or even speak to Jumin much. Actually, I've been a phone hermit in general.

 **Youngmi** : Girl, did you just step into a video game or something? Things like two year long comas don't happen like that out of the blue!

 **Eunji** : They do, but not as dramatically.

 **Woojin** : How is V doing, anyway?

 **Eunji** : He's just been admitted into rehabilitation. For a while, they were focused on getting good food into him to fatten him up. He was really skinny…Anyway, now they're going to strengthen his muscles in baby steps. They're having him bend and stretch his arms and legs in bed. Maybe in a month, he could try and walk with a walker.

 **Eunji** : As for how he's feeling…he's trying to cope by writing poetry.

 **Woojin** : How's he doing that? I thought he couldn't see anymore.

 **Eunji** : Jumin purchased a dictating device where all you have to do is speak into it, and a computer writes it out. Dragon something. If I was a writer, that would make my life a lot easier.

 **Youngmi** : Or data input a lot easier. Yuck.

 **Woojin** : Today is the day, right? You've told the other RFA members about V?

 **Eunji** : Yeah. Man, they've all been through so much. I feel like I'm an outsider looking in.

 **Youngmi** : None of that. Chin up. You. Get. Over. There. And. Be. Emotional. Support.

 **Eunji** : I'll. Do. My. Best.

 **Woojin** : Too. Much. Cute. Stuff. Here. Stop. It.

 **Eunji** : No.

 **Youngmi** : No.

All were silent as the RFA stood before the hospital room valiantly hiding its occupant for two long years. Jumin, Eunji, and Jaehee peered at their companions with calculated concern. After V relented, Jumin had rounded up the members and told them of his great secret at the café were they all first had gathered what seemed dynasties ago. The meeting had gone as well as anyone would have expected. Tears, confusion, some accusations, and hope. Eunji held Jumin's hand for the entirety of the meeting in their chosen fluffy love seat, and for once wasn't the only one with sweating palms.

Now they were stooped at the edge of a chapter's completion. Yoosung brushed some of his blond locks of hair from his red face, looking like a battle worn adult trapped in a child's body. MC rubbed her large belly, and whether she knew it or not, she was whispering soothing sentences to the child within her. Saeyoung, as pale as a new scar, had a comforting arm around his wife. Zen was nervously fastening and unfastening the buttons of his silver jacket. Saeran was the only one of the group who seemed eager. He was the one who found out even before Eunji about the truth of V's coma.

"Let's go," Eunji said. She passed her fingers over Jumin's firm arm, still paused at passing the code card through the required slot. He blinked, rolled his tense shoulders, and opened the door.

"I'm seeing a ghost. That must be a ghost right there," Zen whispered. He staggered over to the man in the hospital bed. V was no longer the skeletal strip of a man Eunji witnessed a few weeks prior. True, there would be no fast recovery in this case, but at least she could see the will to live again molded into his skin, his bones, his spirit. V sat up with more purpose as if he yearned to jump from the bed and run laps. His artist's fingers were drumming a rapid beat on his blanket covered knee, and when he heard his friends' arrival, he turned and blasted them with a 1000 watt smile. Eunji almost staggered like Zen at the power of just one joyous grin from V. No wonder why he had such massive influence over his friends. A person could grow addicted to needing to feel that smile directed only on them.

"You see what I'm seeing, right Saeyoung? MC?" Zen patted V's mint hair. V covered his mouth and laughed a charming laugh. The combination of the laugh and the solidity of V's hair must have brought the fact completely home for Zen. He walked backwards, nearly tripping on a stray wire. Saeran caught Zen by the shoulders and steadied him. The silver haired man thanked his friend, his attention still dead set on V.

"V, you were alive? This entire time?" MC murmured out loud. She had snaked an arm around Saeyoung's waist, keeping him close to her to absorb the strength he offered. Eunji couldn't imagine what those two could be feeling at a time like this. She wasn't there for the events that occurred two years ago nor could she fully understand what the RFA went through. What she did know was that she was with the RFA now, and she would help them whatever way she could.

"I'm not going to believe it when anybody dies. I'll have to ransack the grave to make sure from now on," Zen declared. Everyone ignored him.

"This is crazy," Yoosung's strained voice claimed. He was openly crying, letting the hot tears slip down his face to moisten the collar of his blue shirt. Yoosung scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands, but the tears only kept flowing. Jaehee produced a tissue from one of her pockets and placed the item into Yoosung's hand. He silently thanked her and blew his nose.

"Does the entire RFA consist of vampires? Jumin, didn't you used to talk about real vampires a while back?" Again, all dismissed the still shell shocked Zen. Saeran sighed and patted Zen on the back.

"Yes, hello everyone." V sounded healthier. There was only a faint scratch to his voice, like when one consumes a hot drink only to slightly burn their throats from drinking the liquid too fast. Jumin wrapped his arm around Eunji, and she could feel that despite his polished surface, there was a tremor in his body. She hugged his side, attempting to reassure him that all was going well for the time being. V's grin faded into a grimace. He worriedly clasped his hands until his knuckles turned white.

"I made a grievous mistake. Although, I do hope to make it my last from now on." V scooted the fingers of his left hand along a nightstand, fumbled, and picked up a glass of ice water. He used his right hand to locate the hot pink bendy straw and direct the item to his lips. He drank some water, and just as slowly, placed the glass back on the table. "I asked Jumin to keep my existence secret. If you have to be mad at anyone, direct your anger at me."

"V," Jumin warned. For the past two weeks, Jumin and V have been talking through the night. Eunji was present for a couple of those days, and what they spoke of was mostly of the past and how to move on to the future. V was not going to be the most confident person in the world in just a few weeks, but with a supporting group of friends to help him through the dark times, he had a chance at some happiness. The first step was reminding V of his self worth.

"Erm, well. Feel what you want to feel. Just understand that he kept the secret for my sake. Make your own judgements as you will," V said shyly. He raised his eyebrows to where he last heard Jumin's voice, awaiting for Jumin's approval. Jumin nodded, and then remembered his mistake.

"Well done," Jumin said aloud. V sighed, looking as though he was taking his next breath to prepare for life altering battle.

"Saeran, are you there?"

"Y-yes," Saeran chirped. The mint eyed man stepped away from Zen and neared V's bedside. The overhead light revealed the twitching at Saeran's jaw. Eunji glimpsed MC move uncomfortably but moved now more afterwards.

"Jumin has thoroughly berated me for my past foolishness, and although I can never entirely forgive myself for what you went through because of my thoughtlessness—"

"I forgive you," Saeran bluntly said.

"You, you what?" V's milky white eyes widened. His death grip on the blankets loosened.

"I forgive you. V, I've been searching for you for two years. You're not dead. You're alive. My hands. My hand are clean." Saeran, who had been so steadfast and calm to rival Jumin, burst into to messy, uncontrollable sobs. He fell forward and clung to V as if he had been the light he was searching for all this time. V was shocked for a mere moment until he hugged Saeran back with just as much vigor. There were no dry eyes in the room after that. All of the pent up wounds of the past, the curdled secrets, and past dangers were wiped away and cleansed. V and Saeran stayed like that, clinging to one another in mutual harmony until Saeran pulled back. Jaehee, ever the efficient friend, handed out tissues to the RFA, and soon the trash bin was full. MC seemed to have difficulty moved to the bin to dispense of her tissue, and Saeyoung was having trouble keeping her up.

"From now on, I want to start anew," V announced. All in the room eagerly listened for what he would say next. "This day onward, I am no longer V. Please, call me by my given name. Jihyun Kim."

"Jihyun, huh?" This was the first time Saeyoung had spoken. Eunji watched him as the glass panes of his glasses shimmered, and the tight muscles of his body relaxed. The familiar jovial grin of his slid back onto his face until he nearly glowed. "Feels like calling your dad by his real name when you've grown up and are mature enough to do so."

"That's right, Saeyoung. It does," V agreed. His own brilliant, addictive smile was back.

"Uum, guys?"

"MC, what's wrong?" Jaehee asked.

"Is there, uh, a delivery unit in this hospital?" MC's face was contorted in agony. She clutched at her stomach and braced her legs as if she were going to sumo wrestle. Soon, her face calmed only to twist back into a mask of pain once more.

"Yes. One of the top quality facilities in South Korea. Why do you ask?" Jumin wondered.

"She's going to have her baby, you dingus!" Zen yelped. His hands were splayed out as if he couldn't believe Jumin was unable to fully grasp the situation.

"Oh," Jumin said. And then, after his entire body stiffened from the gravity of said events,"Oh!"

"Mayday, mayday!" Saeyoung pressed his hands to his face, then to his wive's, then to his once more. He was kind of bouncing from one foot to another in a weird dance of a soon-to-be proud father. "Honey, I'll, I'll get the baby bag from my baby, uh, the car!" Saeyoung flew out of the hospital room like a demon of the wind after quickly kissing MC.

"I'll walk MC upstairs to get a wheelchair," Yoosung offered. The shorter man went over to MC and placed a hand on her left arm.

"Me, too. I am going to be an Uncle, after all! I can't miss a minute." Saeran shielded MC's right side.

"Thank's Yoosung. Saeran," Saeyoung called behind him. Eunji wondered how Saeyoung was able to hear that from so far away? She shrugged. Saeyoung was Saeyoung.

"Eunji, let's go inform the nurses," Jumin said as he put his hand on the small of her back. She nodded, and the began to move from the room..

"We'll stay with Jihyun until everything settles down," Jaehee said. She took her position in the chair that sat next to Jihyun's bedside. Zen sauntered up next to her, placing his hand on the chair's arm rest.

"That's right. If your baby's first sight is my face, then he or she might be restless for the rest of their lives trying to achieve my level of physical perfection." One could practically see the growth of Zen's nose as he spoke. All in the room, even Jihyun, stared exasperated at the actor. He blinked his red eyes as if the people staring at him were the ones in the wrong, and then sighed in defeat. "Yeah, yeah. I'm staying."

"You and the baby will be on my thoughts, MC," Jihyun gently told his friend.

"Right, right, right. Touching. Very touching. Kinda need to birth a baby now. _Byeee_!" MC heaved as all of her friends helped bring her child into this vast world.


	19. The Deal

Eunji stared at the woman who stood before her in the mirror. She never thought that she would be one of those people who would do this whole before and after thing, but even she couldn't ignore the changes she overcame the past half a year. Long ago, she would not have been in a place like this, surrounded by golden chandeliers, silver arched ballrooms, and the most prestigious figures in the country. Instead, she would have been at home, quietly eating a bowl of cereal with Masako purring on her lap. Actually, that didn't sound too bad. Maybe she could—no! The difference now was that she was no longer scared or timid. The woman who wore all gray and a tight red bun more to keep herself safe than for fashion was gone.

She was adorned in a dress she bought and tailored herself. The chocolate brown dress reached the floor in a froth of lace, tightened around her waist, and lightly rested around her shoulders. Instead of the black diamonds Jumin had so desperately yearned to fasten around her neck, she opted to wear a simple silver chain, one she could afford. Eunji refused to let Jumin buy anything so expensive as diamonds and silks, but she did want to get as close to his description of his favorite dress as possible. As such, she wore silver earrings and a crown of elegantly woven braids. Eunji stuck a silver pin behind her left ear so whenever she turned, she would glimmer.

"You're fine, hun. You are a vision for your man," Youngmi managed to shout and whisper at the same time. Eunji rolled her eyes.

"So says you, Miss I'm-Already-Effortlesly-Pretty." Eunji watched as Youngmi fluffed her perfectly waved hair streaked with purple highlights. The RFA fundraising party must feel like a purple day to her, as expressed by the woman's periwinkle mermaid dress and heavy purple stone rings slipped onto her fingers. As always, only Youngmi could pull the insane look off.

"Stop fidgeting. I know you're waiting for hunky Han, but your nervous jitters are rubbing off on me!"

"I can't help it. I haven't seen him in a few days. I miss him."

"Again, I cant handle the cute. Please stop." Woojin appeared behind the women and captured them in his famous bear hug. His long arms had no trouble encompassing both of them. They shrieked and batted him off. The crowd was growing, and there was hardly any room to move as it was. Woojin straightened his black bow tie. He had the suit down wonderfully, all except for his white tennis shoes. The crazy man.

"There's Yoosung and Jaehee. Let's go see them!" Eunji slipped her hands into her friends', directing them over to the RFA members.

"Nice to see you, Eunji," Jaehee said, dipping her head down. Jaehee had elegantly adorned herself in a dress cut to resemble a traditional Chinese outfit. The outfit's golden sheen matched her eyes and chin length hair. Complicated swirls of black and silver lapsed into embroidered dragons and flowers until they settled into the curled loops that held her dress together. Jaehee was more than gorgeous, she was handsome.

"Hi Woojin! Youngmi!" Yoosung waved at the group. He was adorable in a button down, pin striped shirt. He was all blue cream and ivory colored cuff links. For a change, he took out his trademark hair clip, and let his sunflower yellow tipped hair cover his left eye. The effect made him look deviously cute.

"Do you know when lover boy Han will be here? Eunji is making my pits sweat just looking at her."

"Mr. Han should be arriving in a few minutes. There are a few reporters here for the Chairman stepping down, and so he is most likely speaking with them," Jaehee explained. She attempted to push up invisible glasses, realizing at the last second that she no longer wore them. She sighed, fisted her hand, and smiled. "Do you think you can rescue Zen in the meantime? I'm afraid he will drown in that sea of fan girls over there." Jaehee pointed with her pen towards the middle of the grand ballroom. True enough, there was a mass of moving heads, female and male, all clattering together in order to either touch or speak to poor Zen.

To be fair, Zen was probably enjoying the attention. He had his trademark lady-killer smile on, which subdued much of the unruly crowd for the most part. The deep red button down shirt covered with a brick red jacket also did its part in keeping the masses at bay. Red was not Zen's usual color of choice, and so his fans were initially hesitant to approach the rising star. Coupled with tight ebony pants and knee high laced boots, Zen was obviously taking on the role of a matador. He turned when a middle aged woman tried to feel his biceps under his clothing, caught sight of Eunji heading over to him, and broke free from his admirers.

"Please excuse me. I have some business to attend to. Pardon this abrupt departure, my dear ones!" Zen said with a theatrical flare. He pried himself out of the crowd and stumbled over to Eunji. She kindly patted his shoulder, and together they walked to the ballroom's sideline.

"Do you think Saeyoung and MC will be here?" Zen asked after smoothing back some of the loose hair on his forehead.

"They'll be here. They just need to gather what they need for a baby bag. And it won't be long. My niece may be a light sleeper, but when she's fussy, she's fussy."

Eunji and Zen jumped. Eunji did not know when Saeran arrived or how he was able to sneak up to them while their backs were on the wall, but he apparently had a few tricks up his sleeve. Saeran gave them a wan smile, shoving his hands into his dress pants pockets. He did not attempt to glamorously dress himself, only wearing black simple pants, black shoes, and a black dress shirt. The sole pop of color was his mint colored bow tie.

"Good. I'm glad that almost everyone could make it!" Eunji knew that V was still on the mend. There was no way he could withstand walking let alone the media's pressure. That was another reason why both Jumin and Jaehee agreed to the reporters Jumin's father insisted upon.

"MC and Saeyoung are blessed to have you around to help them with baby stuff," Zen said. "All that waking up every two hours can't be good for your skin."

"We take shifts," Saeran said, shrugging.

"What about when you become a dad, Zen? I bet you would sacrifice some sleep." Eunji prodded Zen's side.

"M-me? A dad? That would mean finding the love of my life. The one who would accept this graceful and bright beauty of mine! A woman who would complete me as I would her. A-mfff!"

"Shouldn't have asked that question, Eunji," Saeran sighed as he held his hand over Zen's mouth. "I've been sleeping only those rare two hours myself and I am not ready for a Zen monologue."

"Hmn, you might get one anyway. A Jumin one at least. He's here!" Eunji waved goodbye at Zen and Saeran. Saeran waved with the hand that was not covering Zen's mouth. Eunji trotted up to the miniature stage, electing to stand at the corner to stay out of the bustling crowd as Jumin emerged from the double door entrance. He immediately located where Eunji was waiting, picking her out of the multitude of faces like a hawk would sense a mouse in a cornfield. Eunji felt her face go from cool to heated in mere seconds. How could he do that?

She blinked back unexpected tears. Ugh! Eunji was not a crier, but the events of the past month had their emotional toll on her and it had been a few days since she had last seen Jumin. She carefully wiped away the rogue tears, attempting to avoid smearing any make up.

Jumin was as handsome as always in his three piece suit of sleek ebony and silver. He wore gloves and a black tie pinned with a diamond stud. The way he cut through the crowd was hypnotizing, his gait that of a proud lithe panther padding through a dappled green forest. He was the predator in this gathering, and what he said, went. The reporters and onlookers immediately caught onto Jumin's mood, stepping back to give him room and letting him onto the raised stage. Jumin situated himself at the microphone stand at the middle, staring down all the attendees in the vast ballroom. If you were an onlooker, just a face in the masses, he still made sure to include you with one, pointed look. Jumin Han meant business. The guests quieted, and before he spoke, Jumin spared one private glance at Eunji. Did he…did he wink at her? All well. She winked back.

"I would like to make an announcement," Jumin said in a cool, even tone. There was no need for him to raise his voice or demand attention. All in the ballroom had already been captivated by Jumin Han's appearance on stage. "First of all, thank you for attending our party. The RFA intends to brighten the lives of many thanks to your combined support." Jumin paused for the polite applause, closing his eyes to let the chatter pass. Eunji guessed that he was giving the crowd exactly five seconds, and as she thought, five seconds filtered by until he snapped his eyes back open.

"This RFA fundraising party brings upon us the eve of new beginnings. We have auctioned off a slew of chap book poems created by none other than Jihyun Kim, otherwise known as the photographer V." There was a rippling of movement, heads bent to whisper and gasp, interrupting Jumin's speech. He tapped on the metal mouthpiece of the microphone, and the mutterings ceased for the most part. "His passing was misreported two years ago, and he was indeed only in a coma until recently. We would hope that all honor his privacy to produce a quick recovery." Eunji knew what he truly meant was _Bother my friend and I shall ensure that your life will be be-riddled with misfortune._

"And the set has been set for further change. Our two RFA members, Saeyoung and MC, have welcomed into the world their daughter, Gemma Choi." Jumin gestured at the double doors where MC and Saeyoung stood holding a sleeping bundle. Eunji clasped her hands. Gemma was the cutest little baby she had ever seen! The sweet baby was completely bald, making it anyone's guess at what color hair she would soon inherit from her parents. She was born a half month early, and was only recently able to leave the Choi household. MC kissed the top of her child's head. Saeyoung beamed, staring at his family as if they were the sun and moon and stars. The couple had dressed in semi-formal attire, seeing as they did not plan on staying long.

"Heck if I'm going to miss another party! Gemma has to be introduced to the RFA early, and this is one way to do it," Saeyoung had said the night before during the fundraiser rehearsal. Gemma was a good baby; decile, quiet, and patient. Although, if something was uncomfortable, as example if her diaper sat too high on her hips or her blanket wasn't clean, she would let you know for sure. Very loudly. Luckily, she was in a somber mood, and the party attendants did not seem to bother her. MC and Saeyoung were in the clear for now.

Eunji waved at the couple and then focused again on Jumin. She wanted to hold his hand and feel his fingers in-between hers. Eunji needed to be close to him. Hugging a body pillow was as far from hugging the real thing as convince store sushi was from freshly sliced sashimi.

_Great, now my stomach is growling. That's what I get for food comparisons…_

"Last, my father has only now stepped down from his position as the Chairman and CEO at C&R. As such, he has given his blessings for my ascension to fill his footsteps." Eunji peered behind Jumin where an older couple sat with hands clasped at their knees. She had not officially met with Mr. Han Senior, but Jumin made it clear that their introduction would mean the world to him. Family was considered precious, and Eunji agreed. Good thing he had already met Cheryl. That was half of the battle.

"All questions may be referred to my father and his new bride, Saunjoo Choi." So she was the woman sitting next to Mr. Han Senior. They paired well together. Mr. Han Senior wore business attire and a blue scarf around his shoulders. He looked as though he was older than most parents given Jumin's age, with pure white hair and deep laugh lines. His eyes, however, were as piercing as his son's. The woman he held hands with, Saunjoo, was probably ten years his junior. Her hair was a pale blond and fell around her face in wisps. She had the type of motherly face that made you hope she had a pan of home made cookies in the back with milk. Eunji instantly liked her.

Well, that should have concluded Jumin's public announcements. Eunji saw Jaehee nod and jot something down in a notepad. Saeran had long since left Zen, seeking out his brother, sister-in-law, and niece. Eunji couldn't find Youngmi and Woojin, but she did see Yoosung and Zen bickering about something. Now all she had to do was wait for Jumin to conclude his speech. He'd walk off of the stage, and she'd take him outside to view the stars and cool off.

"As for my first motion concerning C&R," Jumin said. All of the RFA members' heads whipped up. Uh oh. That did not sound like finishing off a speech. Eunji got closer to the edge of the stage.

_What are you doing Jumin?_

"I am moving the base of operations from South Korea to Osaka, Japan."

_**WHAT?!** _

"I am transferring an employee through company policy, one of our very RFA members, to be my assistant during my stay in Japan." Jumin pointedly stared at a shrinking Eunji. Her mind was a whirlwind, and all she could muster was, What about Jaehee? I was supposed to be her Assistant!

Eunji whipped around, catching sight of Jaehee, and widened her hazel eyes to communicate her worries. Jaehee sighed, her shoulders slumping, and pointed at Youngmi across the room with her pen. Youngmi smirked a wicked grin at Eunji, dipping her head in a devious nod. Youngmi will take over here, huh? Well, that was all and good, but when where they all planning on telling her? Eunji returned her attention on Jumin, ever shred of her being electrified with anticipation. "My very own Assistant, Miss Kang, will control the company in South Korea as Director," Jumin said. He held up his arms as if he was going to embrace the entire ballroom. "Thank you for attending and being a part of our family's turning of the page. Please enjoy the spread of delicacies before you."

Jumin left the stage and his flustered father behind him. Clearly, the last bit of the announcement was new to the former Chairman as well. Jumin was before Eunji in an instant, his face open and relaxed around her. Gone was his tense, stalking posture from before.

"Eunji, you are ravishing." Jumin brushed his knuckles softly along Eunji's jaw. Her entire back bristled with goosebumps, and she secretly wished she had brought a shawl. "And you recalled the outfit I would dress you in. What I said in Japan." Jumin gently slid his fingers from her shoulders down to her waist, touching her sides as if he were seeing her through touch.

"You're very handsome as usual, Jumin," Eunji managed to whisper. Jumin bent and kissed her forehead, making fire flowers burst into bloom within her abdomen. She was suddenly aware of all of the reporters and people circling around them, taking pictures and exclaiming when Jumin touched her. Jumin was oblivious, bringing his hands back up to her face and cupping either side with his palms. He kissed her lips, and she no longer cared if anyone saw. She only needed Jumin to keep kissing her. To keep tasting the leftover wine on his lips and tongue and mouth. If she wasn't careful, she'd jump the poor man with witnesses who'd report the event minute by minute.

"Let us retire to the outside. I think they have had enough for now," Jumin breathed. His eyes belonged to a predator, and Eunji had a feeling that if they had been alone in a room, they would not have stopped at just kissing. She bit her lower lip and nodded. The reporters got what Jumin had clearly orchestrated them to see.

They exited the ballroom, rounding a corner, and soon finding themselves in the open air. There was a small cluster of tall trees dispersed behind the ballroom's structure. Jumin took them over to the grassy plain, the green of the area glowing a pale blue from the night and stars above.

"When were you going to tell me about your little move?" Eunji asked as she leaned back onto Jumin. He held her from behind, and she felt that thrill of being so close to the man admired for so long and then grew to love.

"Right now. And it's our little move." Jumin was toasty warm, and he hugged her closer as they viewed the brilliant cratered half moon in the middle of the navy blue sky.

"What happened to letting me save money to get to Japan myself?"

"Do not worry, I know that you would not abide for me to sweep you off your feet to your dream vocation free of cost." Jumin chuckled, nuzzling the back of her head. A few strands of her hair fell as she cuddled him back. "Therefore, I have a proposition for you."

"I'm listening." Eunji parted from him, turning to face him directly.

"I propose that you live with me in Osaka. In Japan. I will not abide being apart from you, and I cannot with good conscious make you pay rent. I will require a different form of payment." Eunji raised her eyebrows, and Jumin clucked his tongue. "Although tempting, what you are thinking is not what I ask for payment. As I said at the party, you will work for me at C&R, but you will work for me at a length of two years. Once those two years are completed, you may leave the company if you so choose."

"You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"

"A great amount of detail and calculation went into producing an optimized plan that would allow you your freedoms and at the same time give me the ability to exercise my evil will upon you."

"Ah. Evil will, huh?"

"Will you allow me the pleasure of your reply?"

"You have a deal, Jumin Han." Eunji held out her hand, ready for an official handshake to seal their binding contract. Jumin took her hand, and surprised her by pulling her close. Their stomachs touched as Jumin peered down at her with flashing silver irises.

"Hmn, between you and I, sealing a deal by a meager handshake will not be enough." He smirked, revealing a bit of that evil will he spoke of earlier. He bent, kissing Eunji her with as much passion as was hidden beneath his calm façade. She felt as though she had leapt from a plane, her stomach dropping with her, as Jumin captured her from above. Saving her as she did him. She threw her arms around his neck, giving back as much as she took. They were two storms equally matched in their force and fervor. There would be no way that either would back down, nor would they want to. They pulled back, both pleasantly flustered. Jumin lightly kissed the tip of Eunji's nose. "That will do."

"No, I think we should do that again," Eunji said.


	20. The Epilogue

Five Years Later

Sophie Han sat in between two large cats. One white and one black. The black cat was currently grooming the girl's short brown hair into fluffy waves that stayed in place. The white cat had rolled onto her furry back, placing her feline head on the little girl's lap. Sophie giggled a giggle akin to the chiming of a miniature bell. She stroked the white cat as softly as she could considering she was only two and a half, and most two-year-olds would consider "softly" as "smacking."

Her daddy was bustling around in the kitchen while keeping a protective eye on his wobbly daughter. Daddy was her primary guardian in the mornings when Mommy was out teaching, and when Mommy came back home, Daddy would mostly play on his computer and growl about meetings. Sophie wondered if she would growl about meetings when she was old like Daddy. That didn't matter now. Daddy had finished making dinner just in time to rescue Sophie from Masako's vigorous grooming.

"Here we go, Kitten," Daddy said when he picked Sophie up from the sofa. She clung to his gray button down silk shirt, rubbing her face on the soft fabric. He smoothed her hair back into a more orderly style and sat the girl down in her pink princess high chair. "Your mother will be home in a few minutes. We shall eat, and then some of your parents' dear friends will be staying with us for a week."

"Hehehe," Sophie said, smiling a big, gummy smile. Her soft silver eyes crinkled with glee knowing how long Mommy and Daddy have been waiting to see their friends. Maybe they would watch movies with her? Right now, her favorite movie was the one that had a white and turquoise flying dragon and black fuzzies that ate candy. Or maybe those friends will bring their children, too. Sophie faintly recalled a few months ago where a red haired man, his brother, and a lady with no eyes brought an older girl and twin babies around her age. Would they be any fun?

"I'm home!" Came Mommy's call from the front of their big house. Sophie clapped her hands, watching as Daddy's usually calm face turned a light shade of red. His eyes sparkled, and his whole body went all stiff. Daddy really, really loved Mommy. He would always look at Mommy like this. As if she was his entire world. Of course, Sophie was Daddy's entire world, too. She knew this because he spent a lot of time teaching her letters and numbers. She already had a toddler grasp of South Korean, Japanese, and English. Daddy liked showing her off to all the people he met and saying how smart and efficient she was, just like he was at her age.

Mommy walked into the dinning room and was greeted by Daddy hugging her close. They kissed a little, and Sophie chose to look at her kitties while her parents caught up. That was something called prive-e-tea. Something like that. Then Mommy came over and kissed Sophie's cheeks instead of her head, knowing full well about Masako's hair grooming habit.

"How was the University?" Daddy asked as he proudly set the table with fancy food Sophie didn't have names for yet. Something about yucky white wine and gross steamed vegetables. He placed a bowl of macaroni and cheese in front of her, and she laughed from happiness. This was her favorite food! Around a couple months ago, she went from apple sauce and mashed bananas to this glorious feast that Daddy said had five whole cheeses inside! That added up to one whole hand!

"Fantastic! I got to speak with another professor about the Dinosaur Museum in Fukui. I'm going to have my students help with a translation project." Mommy sat down in the chair Daddy pulled out for her. "How was your day? Did you manage to email Jaehee about the cat park project?"

"I did, but then for some reason, she changed the subject about funding for her coffee department."

"That classic Jaehee switch and bait."

"Switch and bait. I will have to use that very technique at a later date."

"Sit an wait," Sophie agreed once she swallowed the spoonful of cheesy pasta Daddy gave her. Her parents looked at each other and then laughed. Sophie did not know why, and continued to eat with vigor. What made it the best day ever was when Mommy pulled out some chilled cherry soup. The dish was Daddy's favorite, and Mommy always had to be the one to make the pretty pink liquid. Sophie dug into her bowl with as much grace as she could center into her toddler left hand.

As it turned out, Sophie was too tired to stay awake. Eunji carried her little baby into the overly pink princess room, setting the child into her ornate crib. Jumin had let his inner interior designer go free on this girly princess bedroom, knowing full well that Sophie would tire of the décor when she reached five or earlier. The walls were painted by professional craftsmen with scenes of unicorns, pink bumbling dragons, and rainbows. The carpet was a dark, fuzzy pink, and the windows were covered by massive, embroidered drapes. Even the crib was covered by a semblance of a four poster bed shrouded with lacy pink curtains and a golden pull cord. The cord had been knotted at the top of the left post to be kept away from curious baby hands. What would happen when Sophie wanted to be a pirate or an astronaut? Eunji could easily see this room changing every month if she didn't keep a handle on Jumin and his need to show his love through presents.

Sophie was the type of girl who was already attempting to be independent. If anything, she would want a room depicting her as the ring bearer in Lord of the Bings, or the warrior princess who fought gods and goddess. Eunji covered Sophie with the girl's favorite baby blanket depicting Masako and Elizabeth the 3rd cuddling together. The girl's brown hair was the perfect combination of her own red locks and Jumin's shining black hair. If Sophie turned just right, the sun would glint off of a few strands of pure red and black hair. Eunji kissed her child's freckled cheek, turned off the lights, and left the bedroom. Sophie was a good girl. She usually gave Eunji and Jumin a lovely three hours of peace before becoming fussy.

Eunji took a few more moments to absorb the sight of her little daughter curled up with two fluffy cat body guards. Tucked behind the child's head were the demo pillows of Masako and Elizabeth the 3rd. True to form, they still worked nearly six years from production, purring away with the real things. She backed up and out of her daughter's room, leaving the door ajar so that the faint hallway light filtered into the darkened pink room.

Six years. Has it really been that long?

If she somehow went back in time and revealed the future to her younger self, younger Eunji would have—hmn, first she would run away wildly freaked out that an older version of Eunji was walking around talking about cats and cherry soup. Where was she going with this again? Ah, the point was, young Eunji would take some time wrapping her head around what had been accomplished in those six blissful years. A stable job she thought would never be in her grasp by this point in her life. A house in Japan. A delightful daughter. Jumin Han, her overly doting husband.

Her heart thudded painfully within her chest, sending tingles of desire through her nerves. She wanted to kiss him right now. To take him to their room and express her love to him over and over. To kiss the spot on his neck that made him twist with desire. To run her palms along the surface of his stomach. Gosh, was she turning red? Yup. Yes she was. And the sweat? Yeah, as always.

"Love, the guests are here. Are you ready?" Jumin poked his head around the corner of the hallway. He rounded the corner completely, his silver eyes widening. He could see Eunji's state of mind as plain as day. She could feel him peeling off her clothes layer by layer with his thoughts alone. "Or should I send them back?" His voice held enough lust to blow any woman over. Now that was a difficult question to answer, and she was tempted for half a second to agree.

"They came all the way here to see us." Jumin crossed the distance and capture his wife within his embrace. She did love that silky shirt he wore.

"Because I bought them the tickets. I can set them up in a hotel for tonight."

"Jumin," Eunji warned.

"Eunji," the man purred. Clearly, they were at an impasse. That, and they spent far too much time with cats. Jumin kissed the edge of Eunji's ear and whispered, "Fine. Seeing as our guests are already here, I suppose we must suspect this interlude for later tonight."

Together, Eunji and Jumin walked over to their living room hand in hand. And there everyone lounged in the meeting area surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows letting the moon and stars light their happy faces. Youngmi, adorned with her usual flare and favoring the color green, sat with Woojin in a beige loveseat. Tall Woojin had at last grown out his black hair. Maybe a little too much, it would seem. His names completely covered his forehead to the point where he resembled MC in her overgrown brown bangs.

Zen was in a rocking chair, resting his elbows and his knees while sipping from a can of beer. He must have brought the drink with him seeing as Jumin strictly preferred his wine over beer. The actor had grown out his hair to match the length of hair at the back of his head. He now resembled a beautiful long haired youkai from Japanese anime, crushing hearts left and right. The black leather jacket he wore detailed his broad shoulders and narrow waist like a second skin. Those poor, poor fans. They did not stand a chance.

Yoosung was fiddling on his phone while pacing around in circles. The man was cursed to look as though he was fresh from graduating high school, and he learned that if he wore glasses and trimmed his hair, he would seem only a little more grown up. He had become very confident over the years, and once he started his own clinic, what he lacked in facial maturity was overtaken by his smooth and efficient demeanor when working with clients. He also had a line of fans for entirely different reasons. Today he wore a black turtleneck sweater and black jeans revealing his slim yet well defined muscles.

Jaehee and V sat together on the very couch Sophie had been playing with her cats at hours earlier. Jaehee had finished with work for the day and opted to leave her trademark pile of papers and documents at her house in South Korea. Her long sheet of maple hair cascaded down her back while two forelocks framed either side of her bright, clean face. She wore darker make up, and her gemstone golden eyes popped from the added dark eyeliner. Jaehee sat as if she owned that very spot like a flower that spread its velvet petals to the open sky and sun. V, too, was as fresh as a clear day at the ocean. His loose white cotton shirt draped around his shoulders like water, and the light gray jogging pants pooled around his sandals just the same. He rolled his walking stick around his fingers as he smiled an airy, sweet smile.

Saeran stood still watching the configuration from his perch at the wall he was leaning on with his arms crossed. He had become well known for his gardening skills and often competed in flower arranging competitions around the world. He had just come from one of those competitions with the gold metal prize shoved into his pocket, and as such wore a three piece suit of jet black save for the vibrant blue rose pinned to his chest. Saeran's sparkling mint eyes scanned all the grinning faces until they landed upon Eunji. He nervously tugged at his light red hair and allowed a small grin to form upon his lips.

"Thank you all for visiting!" Eunji said. She let go of Jumin, leaving him to sit in his favorite black reclining chair. Eunji strode over to the parents to her right. "Saeyoung, MC—I have a room ready for Gemma and the twins." Gemma, a sweet girl with sandy brown hair and bright amber eyes, tugged on her mother's free hand. MC was carrying a two-year-old on her hip while Saeyoung carried the boy's twin. They both had their father's colorful red hair, and if you looked closely enough, their eyes were as brown as freshly ground coffee beans. Both parents were worn down from were decidedly highly energetic children. MC had thrown together some jeans and a T-shirt while Saeyoung wore his usual hoodie and jean combination.

"Oh, thank you, Eunji. Come on little Stardust, let's get you settled in," MC said. Gemma perked up at his nick name. She jumped up and down, disturbing her red sundress.

"I want the Defender of Justice to tell me a story!" She tapped at her father's hip, and his glasses gleamed with mischievous glee.

"How can the Defender of Justice deny such an adorable request!?" He ruffled his daughter's hair and she yelped, holding her hands over her pony tail. The Choi family disappeared to tuck their children in for the night, taking the sounds of Saeyoung's story with them.

"Please, make yourselves at home," Jumin offered. Eunji had already taken the time to set down some snacks on the coffee table.

"I'm exhausted!" Zen moaned from his chair. He gulped down his beer and sweet the empty container onto the table.

"That's right. You just finished touring Broadway in America," V announced. Jaehee had passed the plate of cucumber sandwiches to V, and he said this around a mouthful of cucumber and butter.

"Yessir! New York was my favorite. Everywhere I turned, my handsome face was projected up on those skyscrapers. A pretty nice improvement if I do say so myself." Zen grabbed the plate of cheese slices and crackers. "And I say so!"

A collective sigh permeated the living room. Eunji managed to catch Youngmi fidgeting on the loveseat, making a mountain out of a molehill while attempting to ate a finger sandwich without ruining her perfect green hued nails.

"Alright, Youngmi. I see you practically bursting at the seams. What is it?" Eunji took her spot on Jumin's lap. He reflexively rested his arms around her hips.

"Oh, you didn't have to interrupt the conversation just for me." Which meant she wanted just that. Eunji knew her friend and the drama she ate up by the handful. Youngmi cleared her throat and flung her arm about Woojin's shoulders. Somehow, his bad posture increased from that of a weasel to a vulture. "I'm pleased to announce that Woojin and I have officially become a couple!"

"I have always assumed that you two have continuous been a couple," Jumin said. He was obviously shocked, but in his true Jumin fashion, smoothed this startled re-evaluation with his cool, even voice.

"Yeah, you're always together. Woojin is your shadow, Youngmi," Yoosung agreed. He would know. Those three had surprisingly become tight comrades. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I wouldn't say shadow-" Woojin attempted to correct.

"Well, we haven't been a couple. I was always waiting for the man to make his first move! At last, he asked me just last week. Isn't that right, Woojin?" Youngmi said, interrupting her boyfriend.

"Yes, dear," Woojin said, hanging his head even lower.

Definitely a shadow, Everyone in the room save for the happy couple thought.

"The youngsters are all tucked up and away in their rocket ships of dreams," Saeyoung chimed in when he and MC sauntered back into the living room. They both plopped onto the empty chair facing the coffee table.

"Can you not just speak plainly?" Saeran sighed, shaking his head.

"Does not compute?" Saeyoung replied, tipping his head to one side like a cat.

"How do you live with that man?" Zen groaned.

"Happily?" MC replied, also tipping her head like a cat.

"You two were meant for each other," Eunji laughed.

"When will I find my one true love? The ying to my yang? The peanut butter to my jelly?" Zen bemoaned. He waved his hands, gesturing towards Eunji and Jumin, MC and Saeyoung, Youngmi and Woojin, and Jaehee and V.

"When you sit still long enough to have one," Jumin answered. The two men glared at one another until Yoosung held up his phone and blocked their view.

"Until then, maybe you'd want a companion? Like a dog? If so, I have a rescue German Shepard that would love a family." The man shoved his phone under Zen's confused eyes.

"Yoosung, I'm not a client," Zen sighed.

"See? I have pictures. Isn't she cute? Jet black with amber eyes." Yoosung switched up his cute dial from five to ten, blinking his eyes up at Zen and pouting.

"Yoosung, I swear, don't guilt trip me."

"Guuuiilllt," Yoosung sang out.

"Eunji. Jumin. How have you been? Sophie?" Jaehee said, clearly trying to ignore Zen and Yoosung's banter.

"We've been very well. In fact, Sophie has been…wait." Eunji heard someone tip toeing down the hallway.

"Mommy! I have fwiends!" Sophie said while barging into the living room. She waved her hands around like a pinwheel as she dashed up to her parents. Eunji stood up along with Jumin.

"They have a kitties! Uncle Zen, look!" Gemma followed Sophie, and in her arms was a placid Elizabeth the 3rd. The little girl waddled over to Zen, holding up the feline so that he could better see the animal. Zen hoped up to his feet, backing away from the cat like she was about to become rabid and jump for his throat.

"Gah! Child, get that ACHOO cat away from ACHOO me!"

"But she's soooo cute!" Gemma insisted, holding the cat up higher. From the corner of Eunji's eye, she saw Jumin become as still as a statue. Gemma definitely inherited her handling of cats from her father. The twins followed the procession of children and cats, both holding onto Masako. The big black cat glared at Eunji as if this was all her idea.

"Hurry, Zen! We must preserve your face! Follow me." Jaehee grabbed Zen's leather jacket and dragged the sneezing man outside. V chuckled and covered his mouth.

"Wait up, Jaehee!" Zen said, nearly tripping over his legs to catch up with her brisk pace.

"Gemma. Boys. You let go of those poor cats, say sorry to Uncle Jumin and Aunt Eunji, and get back to bed," MC demanded.

"But Mommy!" Gemma pleaded with a cute, bright smile.

"No. Buts." MC pointed to the cats, then to the ground, to Jumin and Eunji, and finally to the hall. Gemma and MC had a staring match until the girl let go of Elizabeth the 3rd. The white cat scampered over to Jumin and hid behind his legs.

"I'm sorry for giving your kitty love, Uncle Jumin. Night night!" Gemma ran over to her brothers, who had already freed Masako, and took their hands. "Let's go. These are boring Earth people anyway." Sophie pouted, watching her friends go.

"Sophie, what has gotten into you, kitten? Very well then. Let us take you back to bed." Jumin picked up his daughter, rocked her gently, and left to tuck her back in. The gathering watched the tiny parade depart.

"He's really mellowed out," V remarked upon Jumin's kind reaction to Sophie's escapade.

"He is a stay at home dad most of the time. I love that he's taken to it," Eunji said.

"He's lucky to have you, Eunji," Saeran murmured, almost to quietly.

"There's no luck to it. Just two people by chance running into one another and sharing chemistry. What was lucky was both of us fighting with our demons to confess that chemistry."

"I'm so glad. Unbelievably glad," V said.

A few hours later, the RFA had retired to their rooms to a good night's rest. Jumin and Eunji lay in their bed while both respectively completed email and correspondences on their tablets. Jumin had put on his thin rimmed reading glasses he didn't really need, but made him a touch more irresistible. Eunji set down her table and her nightstand.

"Jumin?"

"Yes, love?" Oh, she adored it when he said that. Even after so long together, he still made her burn. She cuddled up closer to him, their upper arms touching and igniting their earlier need before their friends came over.

"Permission to be cheesy?" Eunji asked.

"Extra cheesy if you so wish." Jumin kissed her down along her jaw, and fields of goosebumps prickled along her skin from his hot lips.

"I feel complete. Sophie, our cat girls, and you."

"Same here, love." They kissed, Eunji's chest pressed up against his, their bodies urgent with a longing deep seated within their bones. They had to be closer. To taste one another. To be complete.

"Heh, this was all thanks to a body pillow, wasn't it?" Eunji managed to whisper once there was time to come up for air.

"I would like to think it was due to my alluring charm." Jumin nipped at her collar bone, and she arched her back. She held onto him.

"I love you Jumin."

"I know." He winked at her, and she broke out into a knowing smirk.

In the back of the couple's closet was a body pillow of the CEO of C&R. It was worn and scuffed, but it belonged.


	21. The Recipe

Sophie Han's Cherry Soup Recipe

Today I turn seven years old. I wanted to make my mom's cherry soup for class to celebrate. Dad said that this would be a good opportunity to practice my English. I thought so, too. So, here goes.

Right! Make sure to have a parent with you because you have to use a blender, and Mom says I can't do that alone yet. Dad said that there should be kid insurance for these things. He's pretty funny sometimes.

Okay, you'll need these:

2 lbs of frozen cherries

16 ounces of heavy cream

2 ounces of sour cream

3 ounces of yogurt

You can add sugar if you want. Dad doesn't need it, but I love sugar.

So, you put all of those ingredients in the blender and, BROOOM, blend them up! Sometimes Mom has to use a spoon to push the chunky stuff down, and she's the only one allowed to do that. You blend everything until is gets smooth and you can pour it into bowls! Mom sometimes puts fresh cherry slices on top.

Umm, so this amount usually fills me, Mom, Dad, and my baby sister all up. I guess I'll need to do waaaay more for class.

Okay, that's it. Did I do good? I hope so. Ugh, Masako. Get off the key board!


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